KATHMANDU: Public hospitals and health facilities across Salyan have been facing a shortage of government-supplied free medicines for the past three months, forcing patients with chronic illnesses to purchase medicines from private pharmacies.

The shortage includes medicines for high blood pressure, diabetes, mental illness, and family planning, affecting health institutions across the district, including Salyan District Hospital. Health officials said the provincial government has yet to supply the medicines, disrupting treatment for patients who depend on free medication.

Officials warned that financially vulnerable patients are being deprived of regular treatment because they cannot afford to buy medicines. According to the Salyan Health Service Office, the provincial government has not delivered the 98 types of medicines normally supplied to government hospitals, leaving health facilities unable to provide essential drugs to patients.