Blockade halts oxygen supplies to hospital

Nepalese people read newspapers while a security personnel keeps vigil (R) in Kathmandu yesterday. Maoists called an indefinite transport blockade to protest Nepalese King's power grab on February 1. The Maoist rebels have been fighting to overthrow the monarchy and set up a Communist republic in Nepal since 1996 and the violence has claimed over 11,000 lives. PHOTO: AFP

The blockade, imposed by the rebels since February 13 in protest at King Gyanendra's seizure of power, has brought transport to a trickle. Only small convoys of vehicles travel between cities under army escort.

It has also halted the supply of oxygen cylinders from the capital Kathmandu to the main government hospital in the southwestern town of Lumbini, the officials said.

"The Lumbini Zonal Hospital issued a notice on Monday saying it has suspended (operations) until the shortage of oxygen is resolved," hospital official Keshav Pandey said.

The oxygen cylinders are imported from India while some are supplied by a firm in Kathmandu, Pandey told AFP by telephone from Lumbini, 300 kilometres (188 miles) southwest of Kathmandu.

"A small amount of oxygen has been kept for emergency cases," he said, adding that the hospital, which serves patients from six adjoining districts, normally gets through 15 cylinders daily.

Hospital superintendent Nath Sharma confirmed few operations are being performed.

"Excepting emergency cases, from Monday we have postponed all routine cases," Sharma said. "Since the blockade began, no oxygen has been supplied to our hospital. Suppliers told us to use the stocks that we have until a fresh supply is available."

Meanwhile, twelve Maoist rebels were killed in a clash with soldiers in eastern Nepal, an army source said yesterday, in the latest violence since the rebels called a transport blockade to protest the king's power grab.

"At least 12 Maoists were killed in a clash between the rebels and the security personnel on Monday morning," the source said.

No soldiers were killed as they battled around 150 rebels for three hours Monday at Sirkhauli village in Sindhuli district 125km east of Kathmandu, the source said.