Officials at the division said that they have been struggling hard to supply drugs to health centers. They complained that depleting stocks have increased their worries as cases of snake bites, diarrheal disease and malaria cases rise in monsoon. [break]
´We can only manage the drug up to July 15. If the government does not release budget immediately, serious problems will arise,´ said Dr GD Thakur, Director at the division. He said that the office has formally written letter to the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) about the drug crisis and its sensitivity. The office has also informed the DoHS and sent a carbon copy of the letter to Director General (DG) of DoHS and Secretary of MoHP. ´I had also met with the Minister for Health. I found him positive and serious about the problems,´ added Dr Thakur.
According to EDCD, Rs 195 million is needed to procure the dugs of those diseases. Dr Thakur said that the division has to purchase medicines before the start of a new fiscal year. He said that the office immediately needs money as the procurement process also takes time. Dr Thakur, however, claims that patients need not have to worry about the availability of drugs as the division would manage the problem anyhow. ´Local health centers can purchase medicines of up to Rs 300,000 directly. We will ask them to make the purchases if the budget is not released immediately,´ added Thakur.
Last year, too, health centers of Tarai region witnessed the shortfall of anti-venom vaccines, after the division failed to supply on time. The MoHP has been providing treatment of snake bites free of cost through all 26 districts of Tarai. Poor people cannot afford the treatment for snakebites as a single dose of vaccine cost a lot. Each year, over hundred people die at government health centers due to snakebites. A lot of such deaths at home do not get reported. Officials claim that fatalities due to snakebites have declined sharply following the free treatment provided by the government.
The division said that office will borrow medicines for diarrheal disease with the World Health Organization (WHO). Dr Thakur said that the WHO maintains stocks of such drugs for three months.
The EDCD said that 15,000 vials of anti-rabies vaccine are needed every month. In the capital alone, over 200 people get bitten by dogs every day. Each dose of vaccine costs Rs 600, which common people cannot afford and five doses are needed for complete immunization. The EDCD sprays insecticide in monsoon to curb malaria cases, but it has not been able to do so far this year owing to budget crunch.
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