A health post at Sarkegad Rural Municipality-4 in Humla district is reeling under lack of medicines provided by the government for free, thus affecting patients visiting the health facility. Most of children and elderly people in and around the local level have taken ill due to seasonal fever. However, lack of medicines in the health post has made the matter worse, said the local people. The health facility lacks even paracetamol, they said. They had to return patients visiting the health post empty handed without medicines, admitted health workers. The health institution received 15 to 20 patients a day.

They blamed negligence on the part of the local government to manage medicines for the public. “Some pharmacies nearby have stocked medicines so they could sell them to their relatives and nearest ones. This has contributed to medicine shortage,” said auxiliary nurse midwife Bijaura Shahi. The health institution received patients with fever and head and body ache in most cases, he said, adding that the pressure of the patients was higher during cold.