The District Administration Office, Udayapur has initiated action against the District Hospital administration after the emergency ward of the hospital was found without a doctor or other staff.

Three people injured in a jeep accident at Rautamai Rural Municipality-4 on Tuesday were brought in to the hospital only to find nobody to attend to them in the emergency ward. The injured had to be rushed to Biratnagar as a result.

Stringent action has been initiated against the hospital administration for the gross dereliction of duty, said Chief District Officer of Udayapur Pradip Raj Kandel. A search is being carried out to find Dr Amit Mishra who was the duty officer at the ward for the day. The Health Ministry has also been reported about the matter, he said.

Meanwhile, the locals as well as relatives of the injured have come out in strong protest of the hospital doctors and staff. As a result, the local administration has provided security cover to the hospital premises to avoid any untoward incident, chief of district police SP Nawaraj Bhatta said.

A hospital employee, however, said that a team led by the hospital chief Dr Bishal Dev had left on Monday for a health camp to be held in Sunkoshi rural municipality.

One person died on the spot while three people were seriously injured in the jeep accident that took place on Tuesday afternoon. The injured are now undergoing treatment at Neuro Hospital in Biratnagar.