Dolpa, Jan. 11 -- Health facilities in Tripurasundari Municipality of Dolpa district are facing an acute shortage of medicines, with procurement not made for nearly seven months since the start of the fiscal year due to the absence of a chief administrative officer.

Medicines that should have been purchased at the start of the fiscal year were not procured, leaving all 12 health units under the municipality without even basic drugs. Health Section Chief Thaneshwar Paneru said essential medicines such as paracetamol, amoxicillin, oral rehydration salts and asthma-related drugs are out of stock.

"Due to the lack of an office head, medicine procurement has not moved forward for a long time. As a result, we do not have even basic medicines....