GORKHA, Sept 2: Health post buildings in Gorkha district are still awaiting reconstruction 16 months after the massive earthquake struck Nepal.

Of the total of 54 health posts ravaged by the quake, only the buildings at Srinathkot, Gankhu, Shera and Dharpani have been reconstructed.

The national and international organizations have pledged to reconstruct the buildings but patients are forced to receive treatments under makeshift tents. Durbang Health Post assistant health worker, Puspa Kumar Rauniyar, said it is not easy to tend to the sick under a tent which heats up in sweltering weather conditions and starts dripping with water during rainfall. 

Around 40 patients visit the health post daily. Most of them are found suffering from fever, diarrhea and pneumonia. 

Health Post Chief, Binita Shrestha Pradhan, said they were facing problems with for storing the medicines, examining the health condition of the patients and keeping the medicinal supplies safe. "Due to the hot weather the medicines have melted," she said, adding "We have stored the medicines in the damaged building."

The health workers are starting to show signs of fatigue after working relentlessly in the tents. The health posts in Dhawa, Aarupokhari, Fujel, Lapu, Gumda, Durbang, Takukot, Dhyalcho among other places are operating from under the tents for the past 16 years, District Public Health Office Reconstruction Programme Chief, Nani Babu Dani, said.

Meanwhile, the construction of Durbang health post building started from Thursday. 
UNICEF Nepal has stated that it will build 12 health posts in Durbang of Gorkha. UNICEF is to lend support in reconstruction of around 74 buildings in the quake- stricken districts. RSS 

 
• gorkha
 
• health post
 
• makeshift tents
 
• earthquake