ROLPA, Sept 1: It's been a long time since the health posts in Rolpa have been hit by medicine shortage. Health workers of Madi Rural Municipality report that all the five health posts in the municipality have been hit by short supply for months. They state that the health posts based in Ghartigaun, the biggest trade center of southern Rolpa, has nothing more than condoms and pills.
“It has been very long since there is no medicine in our health post. The district health office and the rural municipality have been informed of it several times, but we have not been supplied the medicines,” said Krishna Prasad Acharya, in-charge of a health post in Ghartigaun. “The district health office says it has no medicines in the store, so it cannot give us anything,” he added.
Around 30 to 40 people visit the health post on a daily basis, according to Achargya. And when they are asked to buy medicines after check ups, they become furious since the hospital doesn't have even the 'free medicines'. “Some suggest us to close down the health post. Not only medicines, we also do not have even a letterhead, register, card for new mothers etc. It does not look like a health post actually,” he stated.
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Chief of Madi Municipality, Nanda Bahadur Pun also expresses sorry over the matter. He stated that the allocated budget is only Rs 260,000 whereas health the posts has estimated Rs 1.9 million for medicine purchase, he said. “We are not in a position to do anything,” he said.
Meanwhile, the District Health Office of Rolpa denies that the situation is so worse. It reports that it has been only a little while the medicines have not been supplied. “We had supplied medicines just at the end of the fiscal year. And that should last till now,” said Maniram Budha, storekeeper of the health office. “They should come to us, we will provide the health posts medicines if they don't have,” he added.
Similarly, CDO of Rolpa Dr Dijan Bhattarai expressed commitment to look into the matter. “I will do the needful. I am going to call a meeting for this,” he stated.
Photo caption - Health post in Ghartigaun without medicines
2) Store of District Health Office with the stock of medicines
