Dipayal, March 3:

The health posts in the rural parts of the Doti district have run short of medicines. This has compelled the patients there to go to Dhangadhi, Mahendranagar, Nepalgunj and nearby Indian markets of Paliyan and Pilbhita for minor health ailments too.

“We have always been deprived of proper health services. Sometimes there is no medicines and sometimes there are no health workers,” Bharat Bam, a local of Chawara Choutara VDC said.

An assistant health worker of a health post, who denied giving name, said he had to spend time idle in his office because there is no medicines and no patients come there due to lack of drugs.

There is a district level hospital, 10 health posts, 39 sub-health posts and two primary health care centres in Doti district and almost all of them are running short of essential medicines, another health worker said.

An official at the District Public Health Office (DPHO) said cancellation of a tender for supply of drugs in the district had resulted in drug shortage.

A second tender was called just a week before, the source said.

“The DPHO used to distribute medicines worth Rs 600,000 to the health centres across the district, annually,” said Statistic Officer of the District Hospital Puraskar Bijukchhe, adding: “Of them, medicines worth Rs 25,000 used to be supplied for primary health care centres, medicines worth Rs 25,000 for health posts and medicines of around Rs 12,000 used to be supplied for sub-health posts.”

In addition to this, the Food For Work Programme under the GTZ also used to provide

medicines for health posts, primary health care centres and the sub-health posts, he informed.

Except during outbreaks of different diseases, the District Hospital too does not get additional supply of medicines, said Bijukchhe.

The District Hospital has the rights to call tender and supply medicines, said Ram Chandra Ojha, a non-gazetted officer of the Far Western Regional Health Directorate.