BARA: The public health offices in Bara are reeling under shortage of medicines due to negligence in procurement by local levels in the district.

According to health professionals, essential medicines required during primary aid and pregnancy are out of stock.

The offices lack basic medications such as Paracetamol, Betadin and essential Zinc tablets fed to pregnant women, according to health professional Sesh Narayan Shah.

On the other hand, the number of patients suffering from viral fever, skin related diseases and diarrhoea, has been increasing everyday and health centres do not have adequate quantities of medicines in store, added Shah.

The government has endowed local levels with the right to manage District Health Offices. However, due to ineffective implementation the public have been deprived of utilising the free services.

Although the local levels can procure essential medicines worth Rs 500,000, lack of coordination between health coordinator, local level representatives and executive officer has hindered timely procurement.

Bara has 94 health posts, five primary health centres, one district hospital under 16 local levels.