Vaccines that are supposed to be provided free of charge are being purchased by patients themselves and administered at Provincial Hospital Gorkha.
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After being scratched by a cat, Sukbahadur Basel of Salwot, Gorkha Municipality–6, went to Gorkha Hospital, where doctors advised him to get a rabies vaccine. Upon learning that the hospital pharmacy was out of the rabies vaccine on Wednesday, Basel spent 600 rupees to buy it from a nearby medical shop.
“When I went to the hospital pharmacy to get the vaccine, they said it wasn’t available and that I had to buy it outside, so I had to return,” he said. “I bought it from a medical shop outside and came back to the hospital to get vaccinated.” Due to the prolonged shortage of rabies vaccine at the government hospital in the district headquarters, patients have been forced to purchase it from private medical shops.
Up to three patients bitten by dogs or cats come to Province Hospital Gorkha daily. Patients who come to the government hospital for the rabies vaccine have been compelled to buy it from private medical shops. Acting Chief Medical Superintendent of Province Hospital Gorkha, Shabhu Adhikari, said that the problem has worsened over the past one and a half years due to insufficient supply of the rabies vaccine.
The rabies vaccine for the hospital is supplied by the Supply Center under the Ministry of Health of Gandaki Province. “Vaccines do not arrive regularly from the province, and they send less than what is needed,” he said. “Since the vaccine is supposed to be provided free of charge, the hospital cannot procure it through tender, which leads to shortages.”
He said the hospital has been facing a vaccine shortage for the past week. “This problem has existed for one and a half years, but we have been doing our best to bring in as much as possible by repeatedly requesting the ministry,” he said. “Now, once again, there is a shortage.” Most patients bitten by dogs and cats come to get the rabies vaccine. As patients visiting government hospitals are increasingly forced to buy the vaccine from private medical shops, they have been expressing their frustration.
