Urban health centres in Sudur Pashchim Province non-functional

By Our Correspondent,Baitadi, Jan.1: The building constructed for the operation of the urban health centre has been lying idle for three years due to the lack of medical equipment and medical personnel.

Due to the non-operation of services in the building of the urban health centre constructed at Dhari Jukepani in Patan Municipality-8, by the Sudur Pashchim Province government, pregnant women and sick children here are forced to go elsewhere to receive treatment.

“Although there are more than 300 households in Dhari Jukepani, local women, children and senior citizens are facing problems due to the lack of an urban health centre,” complained Arjun Bista, a local. He said that the locals of Dhari-Jukepani, who live in the area where the urban health centre is constructed, were disappointed when the buildings remained in an abandoned situation.

Madan Mahara, Health Coordinator of Patan Municipality, said that although the provincial government had constructed a building in Dhari of Jukepani, service could not be started due to a lack of necessary medical equipment and health workers.

"Patan Municipality has no internal resources. There is a compulsion to run 21 health institutions in the city by hiring 60 contract employees. Rs. 185 million is spent annually to run the existing health institutions. There is no additional budget to run the urban health centre built by the provincial government,” added Mahara.

Mahara informed that the provincial government did not coordinate with the local government while constructing the building of the urban health centre. “The building has fallen into disrepair due to the lack of health workers. Currently, it has been decided to operate a village clinic to provide vaccination services to the children once a month,” said Mahara.

The building of another urban health centre built by the provincial government without coordination with the local level has also fallen into disrepair. The Health Branch of Patan Municipality informed that the services could not resume even in the newly constructed building of the Urban Health Centre in Patan Municipality-9, Kichar.

Yogesh Prasad Bhatt, Head of Health Office, Baitadi, said that four hospital buildings in Baitadi are lying idle due to a lack of coordination with the local level and federal government. He informed that the birthing centre was built by the provincial government at the cost of Rs. 2.5 million in Melauli Municipality-3, Lamalek, has been stalled due to non-operation of services.

“People of Baitadi often complain that they are not getting quality health care because of the poor performance of the contract health workers, said Bhatta