Free medicines run dry in Salyan as patients wait for provincial supplies

Hundreds of patients in Nepal's Salyan district are struggling to access essential free medicines, facing a three-month-long shortage that has forced them to bear significant additional costs. Government health facilities, including the District Hospital and local health posts, have run out of crucial drugs for chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and mental health issues, as well as some family planning medications.

The lack of free medication has placed a considerable financial strain on families who depend on the government's healthcare program. Prem Budha, 53, who suffers from diabetes and hypertension, now spends over Rs1,000 monthly on medications previously provided free of charge. He also faces the added expense and difficulty of traveling to the district headquarters for medicines not stocked in local pharmacies.

Health officials at the local level confirm the widespread shortage. Subash Hamal, chief of the health section at Kapurkot Rural Municipality, reported that around 300 patients are affected, with health workers unable to provide reassurance due to the lack of supplies. Yagya Bahadur Basnet, chief of the health section at Darma Rural Municipality, noted that such delays have become a recurring problem.

Arjun Budha Magar, chief of the Health Service Office in Salyan, stated that the provincial government has not yet delivered 98 types of medicines designated for free distribution. The Health Directorate of Karnali Province attributed the delay to setbacks in the procurement process, but indicated that the medicines are expected to be dispatched to the districts within the next two to three days.

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As a result, medicines for hypertension, diabetes and mental health conditions have run out. Patients have been forced to buy them from private pharmacies or the hospital pharmacy. We have repeatedly requested the provincial government to send the medicines.