Kathmandu, June 26 -- Iron and folic acid supply to state-run health facilities will not resume before December, as the process of procuring the crucial supplements has just started, officials said.

Due to a lack of such vital supplements in the state-run health facilities, hundreds of thousands of pregnant women, new mothers, and girls between 10 and 19 have been deprived of free iron and folic acid for months.

The disruption has raised concerns about the government's failure to ensure continuous supply of the supplements critical to preventing anaemia.

"We have asked provincial and local health agencies to purchase iron and folic acid on their own and distribute them to pregnant women, new mothers, and girls between 10 and 19," said ...