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Kathmandu Tuesday January 15, 2002 Magh 02, 2058.
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Heart problem
Kudos to the medical men who successfully
conducted the first ever "beating heart-coronory artery bypass surgery" on
78-year-old Amrit Lal Thapa the other day. This means that from now onwards heart patients
do not have to go abroad for such surgical operations. But what about those
not-at-all-well-off who are caught between the devil and the deep blue sea? The doctors
and shareholders at a private hospital may well claim that the heart operation was indeed
an achievement. True. But they may well cash in on it to raise fees and service charges
which may be beyond the means of the majority of the Nepalis. For them it does not matter
whether such surgical facilities are provided at home or abroad. What actually matters to
them is easy access to such health facilities and at a reasonable price. This needs to be
heeded by the concerned hospital and the government so that the monopoly can be checked on
time.
Shambhu Shrestha
Gabahal, Lalitpur |
