Bajura District Hospital has been facing a shortage of oral rehydration solution(ORS) for the past month. According to the hospital’s Information Officer, Nriparaj Giri, the stock purchased in the previous fiscal year has already run out, and delays in the new procurement process have caused the ongoing shortage. Due to the shortage, patients suffering from diarrhea and dehydration have been forced to purchase it from private pharmacies. ORS is categorized as an essential medicine among the 98 types of medicines provided free of cost at the hospital. However, despite its importance, the shortage has persisted for months without any response from the hospital or concerned authorities, said Tek Bahadur Budha, a local resident of Khaptad Chhededaha Rural Municipality-3.
ORS is essential for patients suffering from diarrhea which helps maintain the body’s fluid balance during diarrhea and dehydration, but the unavailability of the medicine has caused difficulties for patients, said Santosh BK, a resident of Badimalika Municipality-8. According to Information Officer Giri, the hospital receives around 180 to 200 patients daily, of which 12 to 18 require ORS. However, the shortage has persisted for over a month. The hospital has stated that the medicine procurement process for the current fiscal year has already begun, but it may take about a month for ORS to arrive. Meanwhile, the hospital faces a shortage of funds for medicine purchases, with only Rs 25,00,000 allocated for the current fiscal year.
Padam Bahadur Singh