District Hospital, Humla faces shortage of medicines

The District Hospital in Humla has been facing a shortage of medicines for over a month. The 15-bed health facility in this mountainous district of Karnali Province has been grappling with the situation amidst a surge in patients seeking treatment for seasonal health issues.

With this, patients have been compelled to seek out private medical stores to purchase medicines that are supposed to be available free of charge at the government health facility. This has increased an additional and unexpected financial burden on the patients.

Dhan Bahadur Tamata, a visitor from Raya of Kharpunath rural municipality-3, was disappointed to know that he should visit a nearby private medical store to manage drugs prescribed for the treatment of his younger sister who is presently admitted to the hospital. As he said, he has already spent over four thousand rupees on medicines from private stores. According to him, the hospital pharmacy does not even have a stock of vitamin supplements.

Jhapri Sunar of Thehe of Simkot rural municipality-2 said people like her are finding it very hard to manage their budget for purchasing medicines from the private store.

According to the hospital’s medical officer Dr Surjan Kumar Singh, the influx of patients suffering from seasonal health issues has significantly increased in the hospital as the district has been waiting for rainfall for a long. On Sunday, around 80 patients visited the hospital while on usual days, this number would be less than 50.
People walk up to one to two days to catch vehicles to reach the hospital. It does not even have anti-vomiting drugs.

Chief of Health Service Office, Prem Bahadur Singh, admits the shortage of medicines in the hospital pharmacy. The purchased medicines have been stuck in Nepalgunj in suspension of air flights. In case of the resumption of flights, the transport of medicines from Nepalgunj is expected in a couple of days, he said.