Tuberculosis testing halted at Seti provincial hospital due to supply shortage

Dhangadhi: Tuberculosis (TB) testing has been stopped at Seti Provincial Hospital due to a shortage of essential testing materials.

The laboratory of the Health Office, Kailali, located at Seti Provincial Hospital, has been unable to conduct TB tests for the past three days due to the unavailability of Cartes, which are essential for testing. These Cartes were being supplied by the Provincial Public Health Laboratory, Dhangadhi, but the supply has been disrupted due to non-receipt from the central level.

Ramesh Kunwar, Chief of the Health Office, Kailali, confirmed that while TB testing is being conducted at Laxminarayan Hospital, the shortage of Cartes has led to the suspension of testing services at Seti Provincial Hospital.

The Health Office, Kailali, has been running a separate laboratory at Seti Provincial Hospital for malaria and TB testing. However, the suspension of TB testing has affected patients, particularly the elderly, who are now returning without getting tested

“There is a laboratory at the Health Office, Kailali, located at Seti Provincial Hospital. It provides testing services for malaria and tuberculosis. However, the Cartes supply has run out, and the Provincial Public Health Laboratory has not received them from the center either. We have requested Laxminarayan Hospital to assist, and testing will resume from Sunday," said Kunwar

The laboratory at Seti Provincial Hospital conducts over 4,000 TB tests annually. According to the Health Office, Kailali, 4,886 people were tested for TB in the fiscal year 2079/80, followed by 4,475 in 2080/81. Until Magh of the current fiscal year, 2,924 tests have been conducted.