KARNALI: The Karnali Province is facing acute shortage of human resources in health sectors of late.

At a time when entire country is fighting against the spread of COVID-19, the Province is found adversely affected in its control and prevention activities due to lack of required health workers and doctors.

The Province has 50 specialist doctors’ quota but only 33 are in duty these days. Of them, 25 were deputed by the Social Development Ministry of the Province.

According to Province Health Service Directorate, 51 posts of specialist doctors out of 59 are lying vacant.

The Province Health Director Dr Rita Bhandari Joshi said they were facing hardship to fight against the COVID-19 due to lack of required health workers in this critical hour of pandemic.

The number of infected with COVID-19 has reached 846 in the State. The death has reached 3 in the Province. There are 25 hospitals, 14 primary centres and 333 health posts here.