National
Malaria downs 26 people in Righa
Medicine shortage has affected the treatment of malaria patients at Righa village in Khatyad Rural Municipality, Mugu.Raj Bahadur Shahi
Medicine shortage has affected the treatment of malaria patients at Righa village in Khatyad Rural Municipality, Mugu.
As many as 26 malaria cases have been reported in the village since mid-April. Many of these patients, including children, have been deprived of treatment.
A villager said the conditions of Mada Nepali and Nabindra Sanjyal were critical. Unable to get medicines, the two men remain bed-ridden at their homes.
The District Health Office (DHO) has mobilised a medical team to Righa, but the medical workers lack the drugs to treat malaria.
Auxiliary health worker Mukunda Karki admitted that they did not have medicines to treat malaria.
The medical team has been offering fever medicines to the patients, he added.
Malaria patients are on the rise and the DHO lacks both medicines and health workers. The villagers have accused the DHO of not doing enough to control the disease.
District Health Officer Dr Gyneshwor Shrestha said a team from the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division was due to visit Righa to treat the patients.
Last year, malaria outbreak in the village had claimed five lives and affected 85 others.