Patients visiting the hospital have been deprived of various medical facilities owing to vacant posts. The posts— eleventh level Physician, Pathologist, Psychiatrist, General Surgeon, Orthopedic Surgeon, ENT Surgeon, Obstetrician, Anesthesio- logist, Dental Surgeon and Chief Nursing Administrator—are vacant.

Information officer Ramesh Prasad Chaudhary said the hospital is facing problems due to lack of doctors and technicians. “We have informed to the Ministry of Health and Population about our problems time and again,” said Chaudhary. However, the ministry informed that they cannot reappoint the vacant position due to lack of human resources, he said.

Out of 16 posts of ninth and tenth levelled Physician, Gastroenterologist, Anesthe- siologist, Pathologist, Medical Technologist and Nursing Administrator, half a dozen of them are still vacant. Seven posts of seventh and eighth levelled Sisters, Dieticians, Pharmacist, Medical Record and House Keeping Officers are also vacant. Similarly, the post of Accountant, Nursing Technician, Electric Technician, Technicians and Office Helper are also vacant.

The hospital has also been unable to reappoint five nurses whose contracts had ended towards the end of the fiscal year. With this, the hospital is struggling to provide medical services to the ever increasing number of patients.

Dilipraj Karki, a local,  said the government has disregarded the rights of people in Tarai region. “The hospital has also been providing services to the people of  the border areas,” said Karki, adding that patients have been compelled to go to private hospitals and clinics.

Social activist and central member of Nepal Sadbhawana Party Nijamuddin Samani said the hospital was as renowned as Bir Hospital in the Captial. “Hospital services will degrade if they are unable to fill vacant posts,” said Samani.