Though Dhaulagiri Zonal Hospital has been unable to provide quality services to patients due to shortage of health professionals, it is compelled to pay salaries to doctors working in health facilities outside the district.

The hospital has been paying doctors working at Bir Hospital in Kathmandu, Western Regional Hospital in Pokhara and Lumbini Hospital in Butwal.

According to the hospital sources, Anesthesiologist Dr Avaya Pokharel and Physician Dr Bimal Chalise have been working at Bir Hospital and receiving salary from the Dhaulagiri hospital. Likewise, Dermatologist Dr Ananda Nepal has been working at Western Regional Hospital, Pokhara. Similarly, Orthopedic Surgeon Dr Kishor Kumar Khatri has been working at Lumbini Hospital. Nepal and Khatri are also receiving salary from the Dhaulagiri Hospital.

Likewise, staff nurse Tara Paudel has been working in Bir Hospital whereas another staff nurse Renuka Adhikari also has been working at Kathmandu. Both of them are receiving salary from Dhaulagiri Hospital.

The hospital was upgraded in 2007 but it is still struggling to provide services to patients due to the lack of doctors, nurses and adequate physical infrastructure. Currently, the health facility has only

two doctors—Medical Superintendent Dr Tarum Paudel and Consultant Surgeon Dr Shree Krishna Bhatta. As a result, it has been compelled to refer patients to other hospitals.

Hospital officials said they have 20 posts for doctors and 21 posts for staff nurses but these posts have remained vacant as most health professionals leave the hospital to work in urban areas and larger cities.

Medical Superintendent Dr Paudel said the doctors and nurses have gone to the big cities for better income opportunities. The hospital, which receives patients from Parbat, Myagdi and Mustang, however, has to refer them to Pokhara based hospitals.

Hospital Development Committee Chairman Tikaram Sapkota said they have received many complaints from patients due to the shortage of doctors in the hospital.