Bardiya Hospital has been short of more than half of the types of free medicines for two months, forcing hundreds of patients to buy them from private shops.
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Radhika Lodh of Gulariya Municipality-8, who had just given birth, returned empty-handed from Bardiya Hospital on Wednesday after not receiving iron tablets. She bought the iron tablets that are available free of charge at the hospital from a drug store in the market. The tablets must be taken for 45 days after delivery.
Shamsuddin Gaddi of Gulariya-11, who came to the hospital after suffering from diarrhea, was forced to buy Jeevan Jal by health workers and returned empty-handed. Hundreds of patients like Lodh and Gaddi have been returning empty-handed due to the lack of free medicines at Bardiya Hospital. Patients are forced to buy them from shops as they do not get free medicines. Patients from poor families have been affected the most.
The Lumbini Provincial Government has been providing 98 types of medicines free of charge to the district hospital. Avinash Tharu, the head of the hospital's store department, said that there has been a shortage of more than 50 percent of the medicines available free of charge at the district hospital for the past two months.
Health Assistant Koshika Yadav of the free medicine section of Bardiya Hospital said that there is a shortage of dozens of medicines that are distributed free of cost to patients including cetamol, jeevanjal, iron tablets, bufrin, and others.
There is also a shortage of anti-rabies vaccine that is provided free of cost in the hospital. The district hospital has stated that despite several correspondences with the Provincial Health Supply Center Butwal, it is not available. The hospital's accounting chief Bhim Adhikari said that the medicine was not received even when the employees reached Butwal and requested it.
Chief Public Health Administrator of the Provincial Health Supply Center Butwal, Dr. Rajendra Giri said that the supply could not be regularized due to the delay in the tender process by the federal government. He said that free medicines will be sent to Bardiya Hospital by the second week of Jestha.
The official said that there is no money to purchase from the Hospital Development Committee. He said that even though the local level provides budget for the purchase of medicines to health institutions in the ward, they do not provide it to the hospital.
