JHAPA: At least two hospitals in Jhapa have stopped dialysis services with the growing crunch of medicine and equipment due to the prolonged general strike and blockade at Nepal-India border points across the country of late.

Dialysis services at Bhadrapur-based Om Sai Pathibhara Hospital and Birtamode-based Birtacity Hospital have been shut for the past three days. “As we could not import equipment used for the service from India due to the prolonged strike, we had no option but to stop the service,” said Director of Om Sai Pathibhara Hospital Bal Kumar Pokhrel.

Gopal Kumar Basnet, director of Birtacity Hospital, said hundreds of service seekers were deprived of urgent services due to the closure. ICU and NICU wards of the health facilities have also been affected due to fuel crisis.