Khimti Primary Health Centre in Ramechhap district is operating its services from a tent ever since its building was damaged by the devastating earthquake of 25 April 2015.

Mira Shrestha of the centre said lack of building has affected the health service. “Everything takes place under one tent that was provided by Unicef. We don’t know how long we have to work in this condition,” she said.

Medical equipment and medicines are still stored inside the quake damaged two-storey building due to lack of space. The staff are hesitant to get inside the building whenever they are required to visit the storeroom. “There are several cracks in the building, so most of us dread going inside,” Shrestha said.

Construction of a new centre building which was initiated by the Urban Development Division Office five years

ago has not completed yet. UDDC Chief Amar Bahadur Thapa said the company

contracted to build the building has been instructed to expedite the construction work.

“We hope the building will complete soon, so that the centre could move in,” Thapa said.

The earthquake had ravaged the buildings of 25 health institutions in Ramechhap.

The District Health Office has urged the government to reconstruct the damaged buildings at the earliest.