The hospital was closed down after the death of a local man. The man was taken to the hospital in critical condition and, according to his family and their neighbours, did not receive immediate medical attention. He died before any treatment was provided. When the news of his death spread to the surrounding villages his neighbours gathered and protested peacefully. The hospital was closed down when the doctors went on strike in retaliation to the protest.
The following day, December 17, the doctors did not report to work at Badureliya District Hospital in retaliation to the protest. Later, the nurses also joined in to support the doctors. The work of the hospital came to a standstill and there were no doctors or nurses to attend to the patients. This situation continued until midnight yesterday.
That a hospital could be closed for over a week due to a protest following the death of one of the fellow villagers is an indication of the negligence on the part of the Health Ministry in administration. The government needs to launch an inquiry into this whole incident and take remedial action to avoid a recurrence. |
