Viral fever patients in Dharche Rural Municipality wards 5 and 6 of Gorkha are facing a hard time due to drug shortage.

Almost every family in Yamgaun, Lapsibot of Gumda and Khanigaun villages has at least three viral fever patient, said Mahendra Gurung, a Gumda resident. 

“Several children are sick but they have no way of getting treatment,” he said. “When we go to the health post, the people there tell us to drink hot water.”  

The villagers say the health authority has done nothing so far to control the disease. Patients suffering from other health conditions are also deprived of treatment because of the ongoing medicine shortage. 

Amrit Ghale, the chief of Gumda Health Post, admitted that the durg shortage has affected the medical services in the area. “There are many viral fever patients who currently do not have access to medicnese. Our health post has run out of drug supply and we have sent one of our staffers to the district headquarters to buy essential medicines,” he said.

An official at the District Publci Health Office (DPHO) said the current medicine shortage was caused because many local bodies in the district had yet to begin the procurement process.

As local bodies are supposed to supply essential medicines to the local health facilities after the local elections, the official said, the DPHO cannot do much to address the situtation.  

Patient numbers up in Mugu’s Khatyad

A majority of people in the upper region of Khatyad Rural Municipaity in Mugu district are suffering from viral fever.

Local heatlh workers said the disease has already claimed one Sir Bahadur Budha, 56, of Seri Sadbada Village while more than 300 villagers have been affected. 

The disease has mostly affected the residents of Gamtha, Thara, Baniyabada, Rawatbada, Dungri, Panseri Lamru, Raskotbada and Shreekot. The people in the affected villages said the local health faciliteis were running out of medicine supply and that they had been travelling to the district headquarters to buy medicines.

According to Dr Jitendra Kandel, officiating chief at the District Health Office, said medical teams have been deployed to the affected areas to treat the patients.

Health services hit in Parsa, Sindhupalchok

Health services have been affected due to shortage of essential medicines in many areas of Parsa and Sindhupalchok.

Health officails said the medicine shortage was caused because several rural municipal offices had failed to start the procurement process on time.

Noting that local units were responsible for purchase and supply of essential medicines to their concerned health facilities.

Rabikanta Mishtra, an official at Sindhupalchok District Health Office, said the places that are reeling under medicine shortage were those whose elected representatives failed to purchase essential medicines on time.

The shortage of essential medicines at government-run health facilities in rural areas has forced many people to travel all the way to the district headquarters for even a minor medical concern.