Banke reports shortage of eye medicines amidst growing cases of conjunctivitis

KATHMANDU: The Sonari Rural Municipality in Banke has reported a shortage of medicines for treating viral conjunctivitis when the cases have surged within the locality in recent days.

Health facilities in the rural municipality are witnessing an increasing flow of patients with viral conjunctivitis.

Rapti Sonari Hospital chief Dr Ram Shah said now they endure a shortage of medicines to treat this disease. In the past 10 days, the hospital treated 273 cases of conjunctivitis.

The hospital and health posts here are struggling to meet the demand for medicines to address the issue. Patients are sent back to home without medicines.

Rapti Sonari-3-based Basic Health Post in-charge Hiramani Gurau Tharu said all sorts of eye drugs have currently run out the stock. Similarly, Sandeep Chaudhary, in-charge of Binauna Health Post, reported treating 158 eye-related cases between August 6 and 15.

As reported by Rapti Sonari rural municipality’s health section chief Devendra KC, a scarcity of eye drugs is prevalent across the district and its consequences have been reported in health posts, too.

Rural municipality chair Tapta Bahadur Poudel admitted that the local government was unable to ensure an adequate supply of eye medicines to the health posts when the cases of eye conjunctive are soaring.

As he said, the medicines are in short supply in the District Health Office and in the market as well.