A medical team led by Dr Keshav Bhattarai has been dispatched to villages affected by flu-like disease in south Humla.  

The disease has claimed 18 lives in Barai, Jair, Rodikot, Saya, Syada, Shreenagar, Gothi among other VDCs in the last three weeks.

The District Health Office (DHO) have sent the medical teams with necessary medicines amid complaints that the local health facilities do not have medicines to save the patients suffering from the seasonal flu.

Naresh Shrestha, the communication officer at the DHO, informed that the medical teams provided treatment to the patients in eight affected villages, including Barai, Rodikot, Gothi, Sanya, Jarai, and Shreenagar VDCs. The medicines have been stored at Sarkeghat Health Post for distribution.

According to Shrestha, about 15,450 people have been suffering from the disease with symptoms like headache, fever and common cold. He claimed the disease had gradually come under control since the medical team administered treatment to the victims.

A group of women from the southern region had recently arrived in Simikot, the district headquarters, complaining that there had been shortage of medicines and health workers in the affected villages.

Meanwhile, the District Hospital also extended its OPD services until 5pm each day, considering the growing number of patients. Earlier the OPD services were provided from 10am to 3pm.