Complex orthopedic surgery service has been started at the District Hospital, Baitadi. A man from Dogadakedar Rural Municipality-3 underwent a complex orthopedic surgery through a small incision in both the bones below the knee after a felled tree fell on his leg.

Earlier, the district hospital did not have this service and had to send him outside. But this time, the team including orthopedic specialist Dipendra Bhandari and general physician Arvind Joshi of the district hospital were able to perform the surgery at the Baitadi hospital.

The surgery, which is performed through a small incision (Close Reduction and Internal Fixation with IMIL Nailing), is the first surgery for Baitadi Hospital, said Dr. Arvind Joshi, the chief of the district hospital and a member of the surgical team. ‘The operation was successful due to the hard work of our team,’ he said, ‘We were able to set an example that such an operation can be performed at Baitadi Hospital, now it will be easier for the service recipients to get this service at the district hospital.’

Earlier, a rod was inserted through an incision, he said, which caused the patient to have difficulty walking for a long time. Joshi said that while the same operation would cost 70 to 80 thousand rupees at other government hospitals, the operation was completed at Baitadi Hospital for less than 50 thousand.

Baitadi Hospital, where it was once difficult to find a doctor, now has 10 doctors, including 4 specialists. But the hospital has a high financial burden as it has to provide services to 50 beds in a 16-bed capacity.’