SURKHET:An acute shortage of oxygen cylinders has adversely affected treatment of patients here in Regional Hospital in Surkhet for over a week.

The cylinders are being supplied here via Nepalgunj from Birgunj of Parsa.

According to the hospital administration, the situation persists as similar is the situation in Nepalgunj too due to short supply from Birgunj.

After all the cylinders were emptied, the hospital issued a notice informing relatives of the patients who needed oxygen to manage the cylinder on their own.

“We are demanding to the concerned authorities to provide the oxygen cylinders, but to no avail,” the hospital source said.

Not only this, there is lack of anti-rabies vaccine in the hospital for a long time. “We asked the Nepalgunj-based regional medical store and the Department of Health to provide the vaccine,” said the source. “But they are expressing inability to supply instantly as they already ran out of the same.”

Each anti-rabies vaccine costs Rs 500 in private clinic. While, the hospital provides it against Rs 100.

The number of dysentery patients visiting the hospital these days is also rising. The emergency section is always jam-packed with such patients.