Myagdi, Oct 6: Beni Hospital has halted all services except the emergency one as its health workers and staff are up in arms over the non-payment issue for the past three months.    

The protestors today staged a sit-in in front of the hospital entrance to press the hospital administration to release their long-pending salaries.    

They said that they have been forced to launch the protest as they said they have been denied salaries even at a time when festivals including Dashain and Tihar and Chhath are around s the corner.    

"Our demand has been long ignored despite our repeated calls in this regard. We are waiting for our salaries," said a protestor Mandevi Gautam.    

As a result of the closure of hospital services, many patients visiting the hospital have been affected. Kuhuki Devi Khatri of Malanga Rural Municipality-1, who reached the hospital for the treatment of her ailing child, was deprived of the service.

Likewise, Ganesh Subedi of Beni Municipality-2, who accompanied her neighbour for his eye treatment, complained about the unavailability of medical services due to the protest.    

When asked, hospital chief doctor Jitendra Kandel said that the problems surfaced as there had been a delay on behalf of the respective ministry to authorise the hospital to release salaries of the hospital health workers and staff due to various reasons.

He also blamed the hospital accountant for a delay in service delivery. Hospital accountant Narayan Subedi however said that the process of releasing salaries to the hospital employees has reached its final stage.    

The hospital has a total of 123 employees.