Medical equipment gathers dust across Nepal hospitals as there aren’t enough people to operate them

It has been two years since a five-bed intensive care unit (ICU) with a ventilator was set up at Jaleshwor Hospital in Mahottari. But, due to a lack of skilled medical personnel, the hospital has not been able to operate its ICU and it normally recommends its patients elsewhere.

To operate an ICU and the medical equipment there, the hospital needs at least one internal medicine expert, one anesthesiologist, four medical officers and 10 staff nurses. But, according to the hospital’s medical superintendent, Dr Satish Kumar Sah, it only has one permanent doctor, four staff nurses and six helpers.