BAGLUNG: Health facilities in Dhaulagiri zone, including government hospitals and pharmacies, have started reeling under the medicine shortage following the obstruction in supplies at Indo-Nepal border points.

As the import of the essential drugs has stopped following the 'blockade', the medical services including obstetrics and emergency services among others have been affected adversely.

Not only that, health centres and hospitals in various districts including Baglung, Myagdi and Parbat also lack basic drugs and equipment such as injection and saline solution among others, the health workers said.

According to Tek Narayan Sharma, Chairperson of Chemists and Druggists Association, Dhaulagiri Chapter, the storage of medicines at the District Health Offices is also on the wane.

Consumers are compelled to buy the government-provided free-of-cost medicines also from private pharmacies as the health centres run short of those drugs, Chairperson Sharma added.

"If the situation persists like this, the hospitals will come to a grinding halt," shared Govinda Gautam, Director of Nilgiri Hospital, Baglung.