Several health institutions in the mid-western districts have been reeling under a shortage of essential medicines for the past two months.

With its stock of vital medicines depleting, the Regional Medical Store in Nepalgunj said that they have been unable to supply sufficient medicines to health offices in the district.

Chief of the Regional Medical Store Dilliraj Pokharel said they have been supplying medicines in the districts evaluating their necessities.

“Some of the medicines that we have in stock have run out,” Pokharel said. He added that they are facing difficulties to send medicines in the remote districts like Dolpa, Humla, Jajarkot, Kalikot, Jumla and Rukum due to obstructed road networks since mid-July. The regional store has already supplied limited quantity of medicines in these districts.

Cold Chain Inspector of the regional store Janak Raj Giri admitted that there had been medicine shortage in the government-based health institutions in the districts.

The regional store has been supplying 70 kinds of medicines in the District Hospitals, 58 in Primary Health Centres and 35 in health posts to be distributed to patients for free.   

Giri said the district-based health institutions are demanding more medicines due to the spread of viral diseases during this monsoon. “The central and regional stores have delayed to import and distribute medicines in the current fiscal year,” he said.