Essential drugs out of stock in Jajarkot hospital

By Basudev Sharma,Jajarkot, Mar. 23: Jajarkot District Hospital has been hit by a severe shortage of essential medicines for the past three months, leaving patients without vital treatment. 

Stakeholders have been accused of negligence as the 50-bed facility -- upgraded from 15 beds to provide specialist services -- is failing to supply even basic medicines.

Patients travelling from across the district, expecting services comparable to those in Nepalgunj or Surkhet, are instead being turned away empty-handed.

Shanta Sharma, a resident of Bheri Municipality-13, shared her frustration after visiting the hospital for treatment. "I had to return without any medicine," she said. 

The negligence of the management committee and relevant authorities is causing immense hardship for ordinary citizens, she added.

The shortage spans a range of treatments, from respiratory and cardiac medication to basic pain relief. Local Rita Shah said that the hospital, despite its recent upgrade, intended to serve the general public, but is forcing patients to seek care outside the district.

Specific medications reported to be out of stock include Seroflo 250 mcg and Tiova 180 mcg, Brufen and Codopar, Rosuvastatin 10mg and Paracetamol injections.

As the only 50-bed hospital serving seven local levels, the crisis is affecting the poor, the Dalit community and those from low-income backgrounds. Patients are being forced to purchase medicines from private pharmacies, drugs that the government has mandated should be distributed free of charge.

Hospital administration and the management committee face mounting criticism for their perceived “indifference and delays” in procuring fresh supplies, leaving the region's most vulnerable citizens without a safety net.