RAMECHHAP, JANUARY 20

Ramechhap has witnessed a shortage of cetamol, a common painkiller used to treat conditions such as headaches and fever, of late.

"As the drug is hard to come by even in the capital, we are running out of the medicine in the district," said Dil Shree Medical Hall Manthali operator Mohon Shrestha.

Another medical shop owner Basanta Sapkota based in Manthali also lamented that he had been simply turning customers away citing the shortage of the medicine.

The shortage of paracetamol tablet has been a major issue, especially now when fever patients are increasing with the surge of omicron, the new variant of coronavirus.

The shortage isn't only in private pharmacies but also in government hospitals.

"Up until now we didn't have such issue, but now that we're also running out of stock and the drug is hard to come by in the district and outside too, the shortage is going to be a problem for us as well," said Mina Thapa, who works at the pharmacy of Tamakoshi Hospital.

A version of this article appears in the print on January 21, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.