The District Public Health Office, Kanchanpur is facing a shortage of essential medicines since long in the district due to budget crunch. The district needs the budget of over Rs 54 million to purchase the medicines but the office just has received Rs 5.7 million for the same.

Despite government's strong instructions to the concerned bodies not allow the shortage of medicines to disrupt services, the health centres are yet to receive the cost-free medicines provided by the government.

The senior public health officer, Shivadutta Bhatta shared that the office is facing budget crunch to purchase the essential medicines.

He added that concerned authorities have not been able to supply the medicines to the rural areas as the purchasing process itself was too lengthy.

Different kinds of cost-free medicines are shortage in most of the health centres, however, 36 types of medicines were said to be provided free of cost, it is learnt. RSS