Salyan, June 28 -- Patients with chronic illnesses in Salyan have been without free medicines for the past three months after the Karnali provincial government failed to supply essential drugs to government health facilities.

District Hospital, Salyan and health facilities across all local governments have run out of medicines for hypertension, diabetes and mental health conditions, as well as some family planning drugs that are normally distributed free of charge.

The shortage has forced hundreds of patients to purchase medicines from private pharmacies, placing an additional financial burden on families that rely on the government's free healthcare programme.

Prem Budha, 53, of ward 9 of Bangad Kupinde Municipality, who has diabetes ...