Residents of Burtibang of Dhorpatan Municipality and neighbouring local units are hopeful about receiving good health services following the federal government’s decision to upgrade Burtibang primary health centre to a district hospital.

On the recommendation of the Gandaki provincial government, the federal government recently decided to upgrade the health centre to a 50-bed hospital. According to provincial Minister for Social Development and Health Sushila Simkhada, the government recently decided to upgrade the primary health centre in Burtibang of Baglung and similar health facility in Ampipal of Gorkha to 50-bed hospitals.

“There is a need to operate hospitals in both Burtibang and Amppipal. At the initiation of the provincial government, the federal executive took a decision in this regard. Essential services will be added immediately, and both the health facilities will be run as 50-bed hospitals from the upcoming fiscal year 2024-25,” said Simkhada.

With the decision, Baglung will have a district hospital after 14 years. The district was without a district hospital after the then Baglung Hospital was upgraded to Dhaulagiri Hospital in the district headquarters with specialist services in 2010.

According to Baburam Acharya, chief of the District Health Office in Baglung, a technical team from the federal health ministry inspected the Burtibang Primary Health Centre a few days ago for upgrade. “They are currently assessing the human resources and equipment required for upgrading the centre to a hospital. The health facility will be turned into a well-facilitated hospital from the upcoming fiscal year, which starts July 16,” said Acharya.

Burtibang is around 90 km west from Baglung Bazar, the district headquarters. The locals of Dhorpatan Municipality, and Nishikhola, Tamankhola and Badigad rural municipalities of Baglung will directly benefit once the Burtibang primary health centre is upgraded to a hospital.

“We will get surgery and specialist services once the primary health centre becomes a full-fledged hospital. The upgrade will particularly benefit pregnant women,” said Karamati Pun, a local woman in Burtibang. “The locals are compelled to go to Baglung Bazar, Palpa, Butwal or Pokhara for serious medical cases.”

Burtibang Primary Health Centre currently has one medical officer, one health assistant, one auxiliary health worker, and three auxiliary nursing midwives. “We are unable to provide quality health services due to lack of trained human resources. The health institution can provide high quality health services following the upgrade,” said Rabindra Dhakal, medical officer at the primary health centre. According to him, eight specialist doctors and 12 medical officers will be managed once the health centre starts providing hospital services.

Around 150 patients visit Burtibang Primary Health Centre on a daily basis. As per the record at the centre, around 500 women receive safe delivery service from the health facility every year.

“The health centre currently provides lab and ultrasound services in addition to treating tuberculosis and leprosy. The centre even conducts 60 to 70 postmortems annually. The patients will get better and additional health services after the upgrade” said Keshav Thapa, health unit chief of Dhorpatan Municipality. According to him, the service seekers are deprived of 92 different types of medicines that the federal government provides as the health institution has not been recognised as a hospital.

But of late, the centre has been affected by lack of employees and resources. The centre even does not have a generator and this affects lab, X-ray and ultrasound services during power cuts. “Health services will certainly be improved once it gains recognition as a hospital. People will get surgery services as well,” said Parbati Aryal, a staff nurse at the health centre.