Sushil Koirala Prakhar Hospital, a major cancer hospital in the western region, has been unable to provide effective health services due to a lack of human resources.

The hospital was established in Khajura, Banke, last year to provide health services to the people of the mid and far western districts. However, the well facilitated hospital has been unable to extend its services to cancer patients due to a lack of human resources. Cancer patients from all over the country have to visit Kathmandu and Bhar-atpur for treatment.

Lalu Maya Magar of Raptisonari Rural Municipality went to the hospital to seek treatment for fever, cough and bleeding while urinating.

“I went to the hospital for treatment but the doctors could not identify the disease. They advised me to go to Kathmandu or Chitwan for further treatment,” Magar said.According to Dr Bishworam Paudel, chief at the hospital, the facility has so far only been able to provide its patients with minor treatments.

“We have a technology to identify cancer, but we don’t have sufficient manpower to make use of that technology,” said Paudel, adding that the hospital receives around 20 to 25 patients on a daily basis.According to the hospital, it needs around 200 health workers to operate all of its equipment. Paudel said there should be at least 30 medical specialists to identify cancer. The hospital has only one specialist, Paudel himself.

The hospital was established at an investment of Rs 400 million. If the hospital becomes fully functional, patients from Province 5, Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces can have access to various medical services.

According to the doctors at the hospital, a majority of patients in the three provinces are found suffering from breast cancer, uterine cancer and lung cancer.The proposed 100-bed hospital can currently accommodate only 60 patients.