People in Myagdi are compelled to buy essential medicines that should be available for free of cost at government health facilities. 

The situation rose after the District Hospital ran out of medicine supply, the hospital’s storekeeper, Lila Paudel, said.

The government has issued a list of life-saving drugs that patients can receive without any charge from the state-run health facilities. Seventy types of essential medicines should be made available by district hospitals, 42 by primary health centres and 35 by health posts. 

In Myagdi, however, people are buying these otherwise freely available medicines at pharmacies.

Paudel said the District Hospital did not have enough medicines to fulfil the demand since the Central Regional Medical Store and the Western Regional Medical Store have not supplied the medicines for a long time.

Most of the government health facilities in the Far West are also reeling under a shortage of essential medicines. The government health facilities in the districts, including Bajura, Bajhang and Kanchanpur, were out of medicines. Owing to the shortage, most people visit private hospitals and clinics for treatment these days, health officials said.