Kathmandu, June 22: Management of Birendra Police Hospital which has been treating police personnel and their family members free of cost complained that the hospital is to face great difficulty arising out of massive reduction in grant assistance in the budget for the fiscal year 2057/58.

The hospital management expressed dissatisfaction over the government policy towards the hospital before a visiting team from House of Representatives State Affairs Committee on an inspection to inquire about the police personnel being brought to the hospital from the Maoists affected areas.

The proposed budget this time has earmarked a grant of Rs. 10 million for the 150-bed hospital against Rs 15 million received by it in the current fiscal year. The Ministry of Home has been providing a grant assistance of Rs.2 million to the hospital annually, medical superintendent of the hospital acting DIG Dr. Kashiram Kunwar said.

He informed the team that a budget of Rs. 23 million is needed to meet the expenses for the treatment of all outdoor patients and other administrative expenses.

At present free distribution of medicines to the outdoor patients has been halted due to the short of budget, he told RSS.

For this reason, the required staffs have not been fulfilled so far, he added.

The team was also apprised of the non-availability of ICU, CCU, CT Scan and MRI facilities at the hospital.

A total of 205 police personnel who sustained injuries during Maoists attacks since the beginning of Maoists insurgency in 2052 B.S. and 12 others who sustained injuries due to other reasons have been admitted at the hospital. None of them died at the hospital, the only surgeon at the hospital SP Dr. Megh Bahadur Shrestha said.

According to him, the injured will be provided treatment for a duration of one week to 6 months as per the condition of the police personnel.

Referring to the unwillingness of the police personnel to go back to their same postings, he said so far no one has decided to resign from the police service.

Some 194 police personnel have died during the Maoists insurgency in different parts of the country.

Some 12 out of 24 police personnel who sustained injuries during recent clashes with the Maoists have been admitted at general surgical ward, six others at orthopaedic ward and six others have been admitted to the TU Teaching Hospital.

The team inquired about the health condition of some 18 police personnel including DSP Durja Kumar Rai who was injured during a clash with Maoists at Panchkatiya, Jajarkot.

Medical superintendent Dr. Kunwar urged the lawmakers to strive for an increase in grant assistance for the hospital and fulfilment of its staff level.

He further asked them to take necessary measure to ensure the promotion of the police personnel discharged from the hospital.

The team led by State Affairs Committee Chairman Homnath Dahal included Govinda Bahadur Shaha, Bal Bahadur K.C., Mahendra Bahadur Pandey, Gorakh Bahadur Bogati, Nara Bahadur Budhathoki, Mohan Bahadur Basnet, Shiva Bahadur Joshi, Pradeep Gyawali, Prakash Jwala, Gopalman Shrestha, Yagyajit Shaha, Devi Lal Thapa and Jagdish Prasad Shaha.