Bir Bahadur Chaudhary, a 35-year-old man of the Mukta Kamaiya [freed bonded labourers] settlement in Badhaiyatal Rural Municipality, Bardiya, had been suffering from fever for a couple of days. He went to the Bheri Zonal Hospital, Nepalgunj, for treatment on July 28. But was asked to come back the next day because there were not enough beds.

“Even on the second day, I had to wait for several hours for a bed. But at least I got the bed to myself, unlike other patients who had to share their beds,” he said. “The hospital is filled to the brim with patients and there are no beds available for new patients.”

Chaudhary was diagnosed with typhoid.

With the onset of the rainy season, patients with typhoid, common cold, diarrhoea, fever, and cough, among others, have increased at the Bheri Zonal Hospital, Nepalgunj resulting in a shortage of beds at the hospital.

The increase in the inflow of patients coming for treatment has overwhelmed the hospital administration, says Dr Badri Chapagain, the hospital superintendent. “We have been treating at least 40 patients at the 16-bed emergency unit daily by adding extra beds,” he said. “Even the OPD ward is overwhelmed with one doctor having to treat more than a dozen patients daily.”

Of late, more than 500 patients have been visiting the hospital for OPD services daily, according to the hospital.

“The hospital staff is under tremendous pressure because of insufficient beds at the hospital,” said Chapagain. “We are managing so far but if the patient numbers continue to rise, it may not be possible to provide treatment to all of them. The number of patients at the emergency department has also increased and we are providing treatment by adding more beds there too.”

Patients from other districts of the Lumbini Province, Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces also come for treatment at the 150-bed capacity hospital, which is staffed by 60 doctors and 150 health workers.

According to the information officer, Dr Sanket Kumar Rijal, the hospital is providing services by adding extra beds but if the flow of patients continues to swell, the hospital will not be able to take them in.

Those coming to the hospital for treatment from other districts have been facing twice the difficulties because of the extra expense they have to incur for renting a place to stay near the hospital. “I somehow managed to see a doctor but I have to stay another night in Nepalgunj because I couldn’t show my test reports to the doctor,” said Ramesh Khatri from Masine village in Bheriganga Municipality, Karnali.

“People with low income have no other place to go to for treatment than a government hospital,” said Chaudhary from Bardiya. “For now, the hospital has added more beds but they will soon run out of beds again.”