The Kapilvastu Hospital in Taulihwa, which was declared the best in the country by the government two years ago, has become stagnant and chaotic. The hospital itself has become a 'patient' when the medical superintendent (Mesu) was transferred after a month due to the wrangling of the parties. The service of the hospital has become weak due to the conflict between the employees who are transferred and the new arrivals.

Three years ago, the service of this 50-bed hospital, which was the best in Lumbini province, has become like a health post. Apart from normal, 90 percent of patients are being referred from here. 3/400 patients come to this hospital every day because the treatment is not effective, only 150 people come. In the hospital where there is a post of 9th/10th level MESU, Rakesh Kumar Shah, 6th level laboratory inspector, has been made an acting MESU.

Mesu Dr. After the transfer of Kishore Banjade, the eighth level Dr. Vipin Jaiswal came to work as a mesu. In June 1981, Jaiswal's job was withdrawn and Banjade again came to the post of Messu. Dr. Banjade was posted in Koshi Zonal Hospital Biratnagar in 081 October. Banjade wanted to be brought here by UML and Jaiswal by Congress. The health workers of the hospital say that the 'politics' between these two people is causing problems for the clients.

Congress and UML leaders have made keeping and transferring of messes a matter of prestige, and the service of the hospital has reached a miserable state. Mesu Banjade was killed twice and transferred twice within a month. Since Banjade was transferred to Biratnagar, the hospital is in a state of netless condition. In the place where there was a post of 9th/10th level mesu, now there is a 6th level official mesu, the seventh to ninth level doctors working there have said that it is uncomfortable to work.

"They feel uncomfortable when the upper level works under the leadership of the lower level staff," said a doctor working in the hospital, "Let the lower level make the upper level work as well." Those who can go to other hospitals. It is affecting poor patients.'

There is a problem in making policy and important decisions in the absence of a high-level network. Since Messu Shah did not get responsibility with financial rights from the first week of December, doctors and medical officers have not been able to get allowances and benefits for 8 months. Due to this, doctors, medical officers and nurses are leaving their jobs and going elsewhere.

How many people quit their jobs? Out of the 11 posts of medical officers, there are only 5. The posts of Pediatrician, Dermatology, ENT, Anaesthesia, Gynaecology, Radiologist, Pathologist and Psychiatry specialist are vacant. Only ortho and internal medicine specialists are working here. Surgeon Dr. Sahajad Khan has not applied for renewal of service period.

Information officer of the hospital, Ratnakar Shukla, said that due to lack of manpower, 25 ultrasound (video X-ray) services were provided daily to up to 200 people. There are no radiologists. Two medical officers who have come with training should also examine the patients, there is a problem with timing," he said.

Two ultrasound machines have broken down in the hospital. There are 18 staff nurses and only 10 staff nurses. Others have left. The maternal safety program has also been affected due to lack of doctors, he said. Khemkumari Poudel, head of the clinic, said that due to the lack of staff in the pharmacy and MCH clinic, there is a problem in providing services.

Dilip Kurmi of Yashodhara Rural Municipality Sultanawapur who came to get the second vaccination against rabies was returned empty saying that the vaccination was over on Friday. The hospital has now run out of rabies vaccine. Although 300 will be required within a month, the hospital said that the 150/200 will be sent by the Provincial Supply Division within two weeks.

There is not enough medicine in the pharmacy. The long-stalled drug procurement committee has just been formed. It takes a month for the medicine to be delivered easily. At present, only one/two deliveries of normal conditions take place daily in the hospital. There are no skilled MGDP doctors to perform deliveries. Two resident doctors of Patan Hospital, who came in the course of the study, have started the work. The equipment of the ICU ward is damaged. As 3 out of 4 people who came with the training left their jobs, the dialysis service could not be put into operation. Alimun Nisha, who came to the hospital to give birth from Piparhawa of Kapilvastu Municipality, said that she was referred to Butwal after a general examination.

Mesu Shah said that there is a problem in service operation due to lack of manpower. We have heard complaints about the services provided by the patients. By recruiting manpower, we will bring the hospital back to its old condition by February. Hospital Development Committee Chairman Shivlal Yadav said that the patients' trust in the hospital is decreasing due to the affected services. He said that he is tired of running to the provincial ministry for service improvement.

'Now all that is left is to hold a sit-in. People are suffering in Congress-UML fight. "Looking at the environment here, new doctors don't agree to come," he said. Rights activist Pashupatimani Tripathi said that the political parties are seriously negligent by playing politics in sensitive places like hospitals. He said that it is sad that political parties are trying to build an akhara instead of increasing services in the hospital.