According to health workers, chances of a disease becoming epidemic are high if medicines are not supplied in time as it is monsoon season. [break]
Dr Bibek Kumar Lal, the chief of District Health Office, said that if the medicines do not reach Jajarkot within a week or two it could lead to serious health problems. Health centers in Jajarkot ran out of medicines last year, and this year they are struggling to provide medical services due to the delay in the delivery of medicines.
Even though the number of patients at the District Hospital and health posts is rising, the shortage of medicine has prevented us from giving proper treatment to them, said Dr Lal.
“Instead of treating them, we send them with just advice,” said assistant health worker Yagyanath Gautam, in-charge of a sub-health post in Paika. He further added that the shortage of medicines was already reported to the District Health Office but so far the requests have gone unheard.
The shortage is a result of Regional Medical Store´s failure to meet the requirements and the use of remaining medicines in the state-run Integrated Health Care Campaign.
The shortage has compelled the locals to pay high prices for medicines at private medicals. According to District Health Office, Jajarkot is facing a shortage of roughly 20 different types of medicines including antibiotics, injections, and syringes.
Dr Lal informs that currently only those with serious ailments are given medicines, and there are no medicines even for the diseases that can spread fast and result in epidemic.
Some medicines dispatched for Jajarkot have been waiting in Nepalgunj due to the lack of air route and road way, informed Dr Lal. He also informed that the budget for the purchase and transportation of this year´s medicines would be issued only in mid-September.
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