Trauma center in Baitadi remains non-operational due to lack of manpower and equipment
Dasarathchand (Baitadi): A trauma center constructed in Baitadi has yet to come into operation due to a shortage of manpower and essential equipment. The facility, built within the premises of Siddheswar Health Post in Patan Municipality-8, remains unused despite its intended purpose.
The trauma center was established to provide immediate treatment to victims of accidents and disasters. However, its delayed operation has forced patients requiring urgent care to be referred elsewhere, said Madan Singh Mahara, head of the health branch of Patan Municipality.
“The Khodpe area in Baitadi is considered highly prone to road accidents. The failure to bring the trauma center into operation has created difficulties in treating those injured in accidents and disasters,” said Jagdish Air of Singas Rural Municipality-1. “As a result, the lives of the injured are at risk.”
The building for the trauma center was constructed with an investment of Rs 1 million from the municipality and Rs 5 million from the federal government. According to Mahara, while the building and some equipment are in place, the center cannot operate due to the lack of additional equipment and manpower.
“Equipment such as spinal backboards, AED devices, oxygen concentrators, patient monitors, and 15 additional beds have been arranged. However, further equipment and human resources are still lacking,” Mahara said. “The center could be brought into operation immediately if X-ray machines, orthopedic doctors, radiographers, staff nurses, and health assistants are provided.”
Construction of the facility was completed in the fiscal year 2077/78. Despite repeated requests to provincial and federal authorities for the provision of necessary resources, no action has been taken so far, said Patan-8 Ward Chairman Harish Bista.
“On Chaitra 22, the municipality sent a formal request to the then Ministry of Health and Population seeking equipment and manpower for the operation of the trauma center,” Bista said. “However, there has been no response.”
Highlighting the risks in the area, Bista noted that vehicles traveling along the Dasharathchand Highway, Mahakali Highway, and Jayaprithi Highway pass through this route, which is considered accident-prone. He added that road accidents occur every year, and victims often lose their lives due to the lack of timely medical care.
47 fatalities in road accidents over three years
A total of 47 people have died in 34 road accidents in the district over the past three years, according to data from the District Police Office. During the same period, 126 individuals have been injured.
Police Inspector Bhuwan Prasad Timilsena, spokesperson for the District Police Office, said that road accidents have been increasing annually, along with the number of fatalities. In the fiscal year 2080/81, eight accidents resulted in seven deaths and 42 injuries.
In the fiscal year 2081/82, 10 accidents led to 11 deaths, while in the current fiscal year 2082/83, 16 accidents have already resulted in 29 deaths, he said.
Police data further shows that 59 people—34 men and 25 women—have been injured in road accidents so far in the current fiscal year. Last Friday alone, 24 individuals were injured in a bus accident in Gairakhan, Patan Municipality-8. The injured are currently receiving treatment at various hospitals, according to the District Police Office.