Patients suffer as 62% medicines unavailable at Faridabad hospital
Bijendra Ahlawat
Faridabad, May 22
The Badshah Khan (BK) Civil Hospital here, a leading government hospital in the state, is facing a shortage of medicines. Only 38 per cent of the prescribed medicines are available for the patients, it has been reported.
Patients and their attendants are forced to bear the brunt of the severe shortage of medicines as 296 types of medicines are unavailable.
Only about 176 types of medicines against the required 472 types of medicines given to the patients free of cost have been available, according to sources. With the shortage of supply from the backhand reported to be the main reason, the patients who are generally from poor or middle class backgrounds have to procure several types of medicines from the private medicine shops, according to sources. The problem has persisted for about a year, though the percentage of shortage of medicines could vary, said an employee.
It has been revealed that the medicines listed as unavailable include several types of anti- convulsants, cardiovascular, dermatological, disinfectants (antiseptic), gastrointestinal, obstetrics and gynaecology, psycotherapateics, psychiatry, ophthalmological, urological and many types of immunological (anti-rabies) medicines, which should be available at the pharmacy counter of the hospital. Shortage of medicines for ENT, paediatrics, anti-parkinsoniandrugs and muscle relaxants have also been common. Medicines and essential products such as oxygen (medicinal gas) inhalation, halothane inhalation, nitrous oxide inhalation, ibuprofen tablet, paracetamol infusion, morphine injection, vitamin D3 tablet and calcium phosphate syrup have also been listed among the unavailable drugs.
The department has been spending around Rs 90 lakh on procurement of the medicines from private suppliers here. These are funded under the state and the Union government schemes, according to sources. The free medicines are supplied by the government warehouse located in Gurugram regularly.
This 200-bedded hospital has also been facing a shortage of doctors. Only 41 Medical Officers (MO) are posted here against the sanctioned strength of 55. The Emergency OPD has two General Duty Medical Officers against the requirement of at least 12, reveals the sources. Several posts of the pharmacists, operation theatre attendants, ECG technicians are also vacant.
Health Department Principal Medical Officer Dr Savita Yadav said the problem of shortage of medicine and staff is brought into the notice of the authorities concerned, the availability of medicines and staff may vary.
Shortage at backend
- Patients and their attendants are forced to bear the brunt of the severe shortage of medicines as 296 types of medicines are unavailable.
- Only about 176 types of medicines, against the required 472 types given to the patients free of cost, are available.
Posts vacant
Only 41 Medical Officers (MO) are posted here against the sanctioned strength of 55. The Emergency OPD has two General Duty Medical Officers against the requirement of at least 12. Several posts of the pharmacists, operation theatre attendants, ECG technicians are also vacant.
