In Yashodhara Rural Municipality of Kapilvastu District, there has been a shortage of essential free medicines for the past two weeks, including calcium, iron tablets, and folic acid for pregnant women, as well as medicines for high blood pressure and diabetes.
The shortage of calcium and iron tablets, which are distributed free of charge at the municipality’s health posts, has occurred because the municipality did not advance the procurement process in a timely manner.
At Parsohiya Health Post in Ward No. 4, Amlonaha, the lack of timely supply from the municipality has led to a shortage of calcium, iron tablets, and folic acid over the past two weeks.
ANM Bhuvaneshwari Singh, working at the health post, stated that for the past month, they have been unable to provide calcium, iron tablets, and folic acid to pregnant women due to the lack of medicine supply from the municipality.
Although the municipality had allocated a budget of Rs. 10 million for free medicines, including those for chronic conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes, local residents, according to Jokhan Tharu, are facing difficulties as even diabetes and blood pressure medicines are currently unavailable at the health posts.
Among the 98 types of medicines distributed free of charge by the federal government, some are managed by the provinces, some by the federal government, and some by local bodies. However, due to delays in decision-making by the municipality, pregnant women have been deprived of essential health services.
Birendra Kumar Mishra, Chief of the Health Branch Yasodhara Rural Municipality, explained that the shortage of medicines has forces patients to return empty-handed when diabetes and blood pressure medicines run out. He added that he recently assumed responsibility for the health branch and that the municipality’s delay in advancing a consolidated medicine procurement process caused the problem.
Rishav Dev Khanal, Chief Administrative Officer of the municipality, stated that the tender process for medicines is in its final stage and that the shortage of medicines will be resolved soon.