"There is scarcity of medicine. How can I get it? I do not have even money to buy it," said Tejashwari. "They say the hospital cannot help until the blockade ends and necessary medicine is available for the treatment."
The zonal hospital used to give free treatment to patients. Even essential medicines would be given for free. However, due to the Indian economic blockade on Nepal since over two months, this hospital, like many others across the district, is also facing acute shortage medical supplies. Tejashwari whose family earns a living through manual labor feels that the blockade has not made much difference for richer people. "It is only the poor like us who are hit by all such problems," she remarked.
The hospital administration stated that it has run out of even lifesaving drugs and injection. Until those are supplied, operations cannot be done.
Tejashwari's daughter, Anju is 27 year old and doctors have warned that delay in her treatment could be fatal. "But we are helpless people. What could be done now?" said the sad mother expressing her inability.
Man Singh Rajbhanshi, a rickshaw puller from Gherabari village had recently visited this hospital for medical treatment to his toddler boy. The doctor asked him to bring four types of medicines for treating the child. Prior to the blockade and the subsequent shortage, all of these medicines were given for free by the hospital. However, Rajbanshi could get not get more than one medicine for free from the hospital. It left the poor father extremely worried.
"I will buy the rest of the medicines when I will have sufficient money for that," doctors in the hospital quoted him as saying. Rajbanshi has not come back, they reported.
According to hospital chief Dr Pitambar Thakur, the blockade is taking life of poor people. "For the poor, lack of treatment or medicine in government hospital means they have no choice but to die. Those who have money can still manage somehow," he said. "There is no supply of medicine. Whatever medicines we had in stock have been already distributed. Poor are dying," he added.
The hospital provides ultrasound, x-ray and ECG, among other services for free. This means a lot for the poor. However, due to the shortage of medicine, doctors are not in a state to carry out treatment, Thakur said.
67-year-old Hari Keshar Darji said that people like him are being killed by the blockade. "Doctors do checkups and prescribe medicine, but the hospital can provide medicines. Without taking necessary medicine, how can we live?" he asked adding further "We won't die without meal. But we will surely die without medicine." Going further he asked, "Shouldn't they understand?" for the agitating madhes based parties and India.
It is not only the zonal hospital that is reeling under acute shortage of medicine. Even private clinics and hospitals are equally feeling the heat of the blockade. Public Health Office, Jhapa states that normal supply of medicine had stopped since many weeks now.
According to storekeeper at Public Health Office, Rajan Acharya, only five percent of medicine is only in stock. "We hardly have 5 percent of most essential medicine in store now. That's for emergency," he said.
Medicines for the zonal hospital and other service centers of the government come from Pathlaiya, Bara. Some other drugs are supplied from Biratnagar, said Acharya. "But now, we are not getting it from anywhere. Even if we want to help the patients, it is not possible."
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