Medicine shortage is affectinv several health posts in Myagdi district. The health post of Gurja in Dhaualagiri Rural Municipality-1 is reeling under shortage of medicines because of the delay in the tender process by the locals units.

The health post has not been getting the medicines that are provided by the government for free distribution to the public for the last one year. It is also running out of stock of medicines provided by Good Neighbours International, Rural Municipality Ward Chairperson Jhak Bahadur Chhantyal said.

Other health posts in the district are also facing shortage of medicines. Authorities concerned pointed out a recent change in supply system for the drug shortage. Earlier, regional medical stores and DPHO used to supply medicines to the health institutions. But the government has allocated budget to purchase medicines through the local bodies after the local level elections.

As a result, members of the public in the remote areas in the district have been facing difficulties availing of various services including medicines due to poor management of resources, including the human resource, for this purpose.

In the past years, the DPHO used to buy medicines required for a particular year and supply them to the health posts. With the implementation of federalism, the local level units have been empowered with the authority to procure medicines and supply them to the local health facilities. But the failure on part of the people’s representatives at local level to allocate adequate budget for purchasing medicines and also confusion as to which body should purchase them have exacerbated the problem.