Bajura, May 24

Health posts in the remote villages of Bajura, including Bichhyan, Rugin, Wai, Gotri and Sappata have been grappling with drugs crunch.

At least 10 to 12 patients visit the only government health facility in Bichhyan every day. However, patients have no option but to return empty-handed from the health post due to the shortage of drugs.

Assistant Nursing Midwife Sita Thapa of Bichhyan Health Post said they had also run out family planning devices among other medicines. She added that the health post did not even have basic medicines such as jeevanjal and paracetamol.

“Besides the shortage of contraceptive devices, we have only 10 to 12 types of drugs to dispense to patients against the 35 drug types that we normally dispense free of cost,” she said.

In-charge at the health post Kamal Acharya rued the apathy of higher authorities with regard to the supply of drugs.

Information Officer and Public Health Officer at the District Health Office Ramesh Kunwar said his office was preparing to dispatch necessary drugs to the rural villages including Bichhyan, which is some four days’ trek from district headquarters Martadi.

Meanwhile, Bichhyan Health Post has been reeling under manpower crunch for long.

The health facility is being run by one assistant health worker, one assistant nursing midwife on contract basis and an office assistant. The posts of assistant health worker and assistant nursing midwife have been lying vacant at the facility.