KANCHANPUR, Dec 25: The hospitals and health posts in Kanchanpur are facing an acute shortage of medicines including those distributed free of cost due to delay and negligence on part of the concerned authorities. 

The patients are being turned away empty handed due to unwarranted shortage of medicinal supplies. Public Health Office, Kanchanpur Store Keeper, Padam Raj Joshi, attributed the cause of the shortage across the district to delay in the purchase process. "Cetamol, metro, B Complex among other essential medicines are in shortage even at the store," he said. 

Ram Kali Rana, who arrived at Pipalladi Health Post for treatment, said she did not receive medicines for her fever and was asked to go to the Bahra area to buy medicines. 

Health Post Chief, Tirtha Raj Bhatta, said only four to five types of medicines of a total of 36 types received for cost free distribution were only available at the health post. "We are compelled to send the patients coming here for treatment to Bahra area for buying medicines due to the shortage," Bhatta confided, adding "The number of patients has also gone down due to shortage of medicines." 

A tender of Rs 4.8 million was announced in the district level for purchase of medicines and it was permitted for Rs 2.2 million, so the 40 types of medicines in shortage will be supplied within the next 10 to 15 days, Public Health Office, Kanchanpur senior Public Health Administrator, Shivadatta Bhatta shared. He added that the management for supply of medicines was made from the district level as supply did not come through from central and regional health directorates. RSS 

 
• kanchanpur
 
• shortage of medicines