Locals have been affected after all medicines stored at the Health Section of Godawari Municipality were destroyed in a fire during the protest on September 9. The fire burned down 37 types of medicines that were meant for free distribution by the municipal health section, leading to a shortage of medicines in ward-level basic health centers and causing difficulties for local service seekers. Yam Bahadur Chaudhary of Phaklapur, Godawari Municipality-8, complained that he has been unable to get free medicines for diabetes and blood pressure from the local health post for the past two weeks, forcing him to buy even the medicines that are supposed to be provided free of cost at high prices.
Sudarshan Chaudhary, who is suffering from tuberculosis, complained that due to a shortage of daily TB medicines at the nearby health post for the past two weeks, he has been forced to travel daily to Seti Provincial Hospital in Dhangadhi to take his medication, which has increased both his time and financial burden. Female Community Health Volunteer Chitra Nepali said that due to the shortage of free medicines at the health post for the past two weeks, even local service seekers have been forced to buy basic medicines like paracetamol. According to health volunteer Nepali, after the fire at the municipality’s health section, all medicines were destroyed, leading to a shortage of both medicines and family planning supplies.
Public Health Inspector of Godawari Municipality, Janak Raj Awasthi, said that following the vandalism and arson at the Godawari Municipality office during the youth-led protest on September 9, all the medicines stored at the health section for free distribution were completely destroyed, resulting in a shortage of medicines at local health posts. He said that since the medicines meant to be supplied from the municipality to the health posts were destroyed in the fire, there has been a shortage of 37 types of medicines including those for diabetes and blood pressure, iron tablets for pregnant women, family planning supplies, and tuberculosis medicines. He added that coordination has been made with the District Health Office to request the supply of necessary medicines.
Mainamoti Chaudhary