By Our Correspondent, Sindhupalchowk, Jan. 17: An ambulance of Melamchi Hospital in Melamchi Municipality is being misused as a travelling vehicle rather than carrying people in immediate need of medical attention.

The ambulance has been found to be carrying relatives, friends and family members of the hospital workers to religious sites, tourism destinations, hotels and resorts.

"The hospital ambulance, Baa 11 Cha 7349, is being misused. It doesn’t show up in transporting ill individuals because it is busy carrying people to several destination for recreation purpose," said Dipin Dhungana, a local.

According to Dhungana, the locals have called the hospital administration for their immediate attention several times, but the authority has turned a blind eye towards their concern.

When a local in the municipality needs an ambulance, the locals have been bound to call for ambulance from outside the municipality. The reason: the hospital ambulance in the municipality was busy carrying close people of a hospital staff to a tourism site.

As the local´s request to close such activity was unheard by the hospital administration, the locals have decided to protest against the hospital.

"Such activity from a government body and, moreover, people responsible to treat ill patients is unforgiven. We will soon come out on protest against the hospital," said Sagar Shrestha, a local social-worker.

Meanwhile, the hospital administration has defended itself citing they haven’t misused the ambulance.