Tulasipur:The Rapti Provincial Hospital in Dang is grappling with a lack of critical medical facilities, including the absence of an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), compelling the referral of patients with severe complications to other districts.
According to National News Agency RSS, Dr. Mohammad Nurul Hoda, the hospital’s medical superintendent, expressed concerns over the hospital’s reputation being affected due to the necessity of referring patients elsewhere. He noted that the facility is sometimes derisively referred to as a “referral center.”
The hospital is also without functional CT scan services, as its machine has been out of operation for two years awaiting repairs. Dr. Hoda mentioned that the maintenance costs are prohibitively high for the hospital to bear. Additionally, the facility faces challenges in providing hemodialysis services, with only nine out of 16 machines operational, leaving over 90 patients from economically disadvantaged backgrounds on a waiting list.
Mahendra Lamichhane, Chair of the Hospital Development Committee, emphasized the need for increased efforts to improve the hemodialysis services. Despite having 141 beds available, the hospital’s officially approved bed capacity is restricted to 50, further complicating its ability to meet patient demand.