National
Consultant docs off to affected areas
A team of consultant doctors from Jumla has been mobilised to the viral fever affected Junichande Rural Municipality in Jajarkot.A team of consultant doctors from Jumla has been mobilised to the viral fever affected Junichande Rural Municipality in Jajarkot.
The team from the Karnali Academy of Health Sciences (KAHS) will visit the areas affected by viral fever and treat the patients according to their needs.
The consultant doctors were deployed to Junichande at the request of Far Western Regional Health Directorate and Jajarkot District Health Office
“The team will remain in Junichande until the viral fever spread has come under control,” said KAHS Director Dharmaraj Gosai.
Viral fever spread in Junaichande has claimed 13 lives and affected more than 2,000 people in the last three weeks.
The District Health Office has already mobilised 13 health workers and two medical officers to the affected areas to treat the patients.
People bed-ridden for past two weeks At least 150 people from 36 families in Badkule settlement of Junichande Rural Municipality-1 are bed-ridden due to viral fever for the last two weeks. Tulsi Buda, 35, said her five family members have not received any medical care so far.
The family has turned to a local witchdoctor to seek cure because health workers have not reached the settlement.
Similar is the condition of people in Kabra, Karkigaun, Majkot, Desipata, Palta, Aali, Magauna, Parale, Rawalgaun, Dadakot, Syala, Chaukhe and Kortang settlements, where viral fever has downed hundreds of people.
Krishna Bahadur KC, chairman of Junichande Rural Municipality, said the number of health workers deployed by the District Health Office to treat viral fever patients was insufficient.
There are hundreds of people who have been affected but only a handful of health workers have been sent to administer treatment.
Meanwhile, local schools have been closed for a week as a preventive measure to stop viral fever spread.
Saptari reels under drug shortage
Saptari: Many government health institutions in the district are facing a shortage of medicines provided free by the government. The government provides 72 types of medicines through various health institutions in all 77 districts.
The shortage of medicines comes at a time when health facilities are struggling to tackle a massive inflow patients with various cold-related ailments. At least six people have died of cold-related diseases so far in the district, according to health workers. The Baradahi health post, which has run out of medicines, is yet to get its stock replenished, said health worker Ram Narayan Mishra.
Sagarmatha Zonal Hospital, which receives hundreds of patients daily, is also struggling with the medicine shortage and manpower, said hospital medical superintendent Dr Daya Shankarlal Karna.
As a result, those who can afford it are forced to visit private health institutions for treatment at relatively higher fee, while the poor are left without any option, but to suffer. (RSS)