Five health posts remain shut in lack of manpower

BY OUR CORRESPONDENT,Bajura, Jan.5: As many as five municipal health institutions in Badimalika Municipality of Bajura district have remained shut for a long time. Those municipal health institutions set up to provide health services to the local residents of Badimalika Municipality have remained closed in lack of human resources.

Now many sick people in the villages are waiting for the arrival of health workers to operate the services of the health institutions. Pata Health Centre of Badimalika Municipality-1, Melakandh Health Centre of ward-5, Pinalekh Health Centre of ward-9, Mana Health Centre of ward-6 and Kordha Health Centre of ward-6 of the municipality have been closed for almost three weeks.

After the 13th executive committee meeting of Badimalika Municipality held in November last year decided not to extend the term of the contract employees, the posts of the health workers are now left vacant. 

Lal Bahadur Hamal, a resident of Badimalika Municipality-1 of Pata, said that due to the cold, the number of cold, diarrhea and  pneumonia patients is increasing in the villages, but the health institutions have been closed for three weeks, he said. 

According to the constitution, every citizen has the right to basic health services from the state free of charge, and no one will be deprived of emergency health services. But the health institutions which were operated earlier by the local government have now halted their services. 

Hamal said that the locals who were benefitted from the health services available in the villages for a long time now are compelled to visit other places of the district to receive general treatment.Tek Bahadur Khadka, health coordinator of Badimalika Municipality, said that the municipal health centres were closed due to lack of staff. 

The municipality has published a new advertisement to appoint the health workers in the vacant posts, said Khadka. He said that new health workers would reach all the health institutions within two to four days.