Patients troubled as Drug Pharmacy Centre closes at 2 pm

Ravi Chandel

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, August 17

With patients facing trouble in getting free medicines, the Drug Pharmacy Centre located at Bhai Mani Singh Civil Hospital has failed to serve its purpose.

A number of patients and their family members alleged that the Drug Pharmacy Centre closes at 2 pm due to which they are not able to get free medicines provided by the government. Moreover, the medicines prescribed by the doctors were not available most of the time.

Kishori Lal, the kin of a patient, said, “As the outpatient department (OPD) of the hospital closes at 2 pm, most of the time the patient gets treated by the doctor by that time, due to which it is not possible for the patients as well as their kin to reach the pharmacy centre at the same time.” Earlier, the centre closed at 5 pm, but due to the change in timings, the patients have not been able to get medicines, he added.

Harjeet Kaur, a patient, said, “Although we have to buy medicines from the market, still one or two medicines which were available freely at the pharmacy centre, provided some relief.”

Civil Surgeon Hari Narayan Singh said, “Due to an acute shortage of staff, we have not been able to keep open the Drug Pharmacy Centre till 5 pm. Moreover, the OPD of the hospital also closes at 2 pm.”