Achham, Nov. 27 -- The eye treatment centre operated by Mellekh Rural Municipality in Achham has shut down after the local government terminated all contract-based health staff, causing what officials describe as a severe disruption in basic healthcare services.

The local unit's basic hospital-where it had deployed its own medical officer on a contract basis-has also seen significant service cuts, while the local birthing centre is now functioning with only one health worker. A week after terminating the contracts of 27 health workers, including a medical officer, the basic hospital was brought back into partial operation by assigning one health assistant, one staff nurse, one assistant health worker and one auxiliary nursing midwife. Ho...