BANKE: Bheri Hospital, one of the busiest government hospitals in western Nepal and a primary destination for low-income and middle-class patients from Lumbini, Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces, has been unable to provide CT scan services for more than 14 months.

The hospital’s 16-slice CT scan machine, which had been in service for 13 years, broke down last year and has remained out of operation since.

Medical Superintendent Dr. Nirajan Subedi said the hospital repeatedly urged the federal government to restore the service, but repairs are no longer feasible. The company quoted a repair cost of Rs 13 million with no guarantee on how long the machine would function afterward.

He added that the outdated model cannot perform many scans required today, forcing patients to seek services elsewhere even before it broke down.

Bheri Hospital receives 20–25 CT scan patients daily, all of whom must now rely on private hospitals. The hospital development committee has requested a new 128-slice machine nearly ten times, but the federal government has yet to approve the estimated Rs 70 million procurement. The hospital says it remains uncertain when the service will resume.