Biratnagar, November 18. A shortage of almost all lifesaving drugs is putting an increasing number of lives at risk in the eastern region, due to the undeclared Indian blockade and the Madheshi Movement that has been continuing for three months.
Suppliers have not been able to import drugs from India and third countries, causing the drug stocks to hit rock bottom.
In normal times, medical stores in Siraha and Saptari used to provide drugs. But with import halted for three months, even lifesaving medicines are hard to get these days.
The Biratnagar-based Eastern Regional Medical Store, the distributors of medicines and vaccines in the region, informed it has not been able to supply medicines owing to the strike.
“We have emergency stocks, with even these stocks depleted by 80 per cent, compared to the past,” vaccination officer Chandra Kanta Thakur said.
According to Thakur, the store has essential drugs, that too for emergencies only. It has insufficient stocks of oral rehydration solutions, Vitamin B complex, Paracetamol, saline, and Cetamol syrup. The shortage of drugs used in course of treatment of diabetes, hypertension, chronic diseases, thyroid drugs and surgeries is turning critical, according to drugs suppliers, manufacturers and importers.
In normal times, the store used to supply drugs to districts in the eastern region every four months. According to the store, it will not be able to supply medicines if the supply situation does not improve.
The government has been providing 40 types of medicines through health facilities for free. The stores have run out of stock of most of these medicines.
The medical store has been distributing 69 types of drugs, including vaccines. Of them, it has run out of nine types of medicines.
The central and regional medical stores supply drugs to the districts. Apart from this, district authorities also purchase drugs on their own. According to Bhanu Yengden, chief at the Morang district public health office, they have not been able to purchase drugs due to the blockade.
“There’s a shortage of medicines that are essential for treatment of children and women. We have taken
steps to purchase medicines by mobilising our own resources,” he said. There’s a drug shortage, but it has not yet taken crisis proportions, according to Yengden.
“Biratnagar-based Eastern Regional Medical Store has essential drugs, but for emergencies only. It has insufficient stocks of oral rehydration solutions, Vitamin B complex, Paracetamol, saline, and Cetamol syrup”
EmoticonEmoticon