KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Health and Population on Wednesday has formed a taskforce under the convenorship of the Director of Drug Administration Department to combat the shortage of medicines across the nation created by the "unofficial blockade by India on Nepal" for over a month.

The Ministry has informed that the taskforce coordinated by Bal Krishna Khakurel would regularise the supply of medicines in various parts of the country.

Coordinator Khakurel, however said,"The country has not faced such shortage of medicine as reported in media, but there are some problems regarding distribution and transportation owing to fuel shortage."

"Various sorts of medicines are produced within the country. But the fuel shortage has hampered the transportation," stated Khakurel, adding "The taskforce is studying how the supply can be made regular."

Efforts are already underway to import foreign medicines through the air route, he added.

The internal distribution of medicine was also hampered because of the security reasons, he said.