Children and senior citizens are falling sick in particular with an early onset of the summer heat in Baitadi this year.

The flow of patients is high in almost all the health facilities in the district. Health workers said that the number of patients suffering from viral and other diseases is on the rise. Dr Basanta Raj Joshi, a medical officer at the District Hospital, said they had been treating as many patients as possible. He said, “The number of patients suffering from seasonal diseases is increasing by the day. The flow of patients into the OPD is high.”

According to Joshi, patients are coming to the hospital complaining mostly of viral fever, common cold, diarrhoea, dysentery, stomach-ache and nausea, among others. “The hospital receives around 50 such patients on a daily basis,” said Joshi, adding that the seasonal change has mostly affected children and senior citizens.

Kesharpur Primary Health Centre in Melauli has also been receiving up to 70 patients a day. Hemanta Singh Saud, heath assistant at the Chaukham Health Post in Sigash Rural Municipality, advised people to drink plenty of water and maintain hygiene and sanitation. He asked the people to be careful about what they eat during hot months.

The increase in the number of patients has led to a shortage of essential medicines at the health facilities in the district. The government provides over 70 types of medicines through district hospitals with a capacity of 25 beds; over 45 types of medicines through primary health care centres and; over 35 types of medicines free of cost from health posts across the country. But the health facilities in remote areas have already run out of essential medicines.

Dr Jagadish Chandra Bista, medical superintendent at the District Hospital, said there are only 40 types of medicines left in the store. “The Dasarathchand Municipality is yet to purchase necessary medicines as the need for these medicines has shot up.”