OPD services resume in Provincial Hospital, Sarlahi

By Our Correspondent,Sarlahi, July 25: Health services have resumed at the Provincial Hospital in Malangwa, Sarlahi, since Thursday.

Doctors had halted Out Patient Department (OPD) and other services except for emergency on Tuesday and Wednesday after relatives of a patient assaulted orthopedic Dr. Krishna Jung Sah. 

The doctors agreed to return to their regular duties after those who assaulted Dr. Sah apologised at a discussion held at the District Police Office.

Information officer of the hospital Dr. Abinash Singh said that they resumed work on Tuesday as per the agreement reached at the District Police Office. 

A large number of patients were affected as all services except emergency remained shut for two days at the hospital.

The OPD was closed at the hospital since Tuesday. With the OPD shut, patients were forced to seek treatment at private clinics and hospitals.

Taking advantage of the OPD closure at the hospital, brokers from various private hospitals were seen grabbing patients by the hand at the hospital gate and taking them to their own facilities. 

The patients who were unable to afford the high fees at private hospitals had crowed the emergency ward of the hospital.

Doctors and health workers had stopped services in protest after orthopedic Dr. Sah was physically assaulted by a patient's relative on Monday night. 

The incident occurred when a woman from Malangwa, who had been injured in a road accident, was brought to the hospital for treatment. During a discussion about referring her to another facility, a dispute broke out with her relatives, leading to physical assault on Dr. Shahi.

The Medical Superintendent of the Provincial Hospital Malangwa, Dr. Sanjiv Kumar Singh, stated that all services except emergency were halted, demanding peace and security, as incidents of assaults on doctors at the hospital have been recurring. “Such incidents have happened repeatedly in the past as well,” said Dr. Singh. 

A formal complaint was filed at the District Police Office demanding action against the assaulter.