Patient stages sit-in at DAO for air ticket

By Rajan Rawat, Humla, May 23: Family members of a serious patient have staged a sit-in at the Humla district administration office (DAO) demanding facilitation from the administration for the patient to get an air ticket.

The family members along with the patients are knocking on the DAO's door as they could not get an air ticket although the district hospital referred the patient to opt for treatment in a well-equipped hospital outside the district.

They are demanding that the administration should arrange air tickets for them because the airlines cheated them by not providing the ticket.

 Panche Kami, a resident of Raya village in Kharpunath Rural Municipality, has been suffering from liver problems since mid-March.

Kami was admitted to the district hospital on Saturday but was referred on Sunday to an advanced hospital outside the district for his treatment.

Although the Tara Air plane made a flight from the airport here, Kami could not get a ticket.

"At the beginning, they said they would provide us seats on the first flight, but later on said they could surely give us seats on the second flight. The second flight did not arrive," said Rupesh Tamata, Kami's son.

My father's eyes have turned yellow and he has a critical problem with his liver, so the hospital issued an emergency reference for taking him outside the district for treatment. But the airline's employees gave the tickets to others who are powerful, not to the patient who is critically ill, complained the patient's son.

Instead of returning home, we decided to hold a sit-in here so that the administration considers our plight and arranges for an air ticket, he said.

Anupam Paudel, assistant Chief District Officer, said that the main problem was the lack of regular flights. Even then, the administration has taken the case into top priority and would try its best to ensure that the patient and his family get tickets for Surkhet or Nepalgunj on the next flight.