Jan Aushadhi Kendra at Civil Hospital, Ludhiana, sans medicines

Manav Mander

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 14

Jan Aushadhi Kendras were opened at government hospitals for facilitating patients in getting medicines at affordable rates but the centre at the Civil Hospital, Ludhiana, has miserably failed in serving its purpose as it has not received the supply of medicines since around two months.

There are only a few medicines available at the centre due to which, patients have to return empty handed and buy medicines from outside.

The first problem faced by the kendra is that the stock is not updated frequently and secondly, doctors prescribe drugs with their brand name. Both these factors contributed in making the kendra at the Civil Hospital into a fruitless venture.

Though medicines are given free of cost to patients at the Civil Hospital but since the medicines are in shortage most of the times at its pharmacy also, patients often visit the Jan Aushadi Kendra but they have to return empty handed from there also due to unavailability of the medicines.

Narain, a patient, who had come to the hospital for taking his medicine for a skin-related problem, said the medicine was not available at the store so he came to the kendra but it was not available there also. Now, he is left with no other option but to buy it from a chemist at higher price.

Anju, who had come to a gynaecologist for her check-up, said only two medicines were available at the pharmacy and then she came to the kendra to buy the remaining but none was available here.

“Why has the hospital opened the kendra as I never get any medicine from here,” she rued.

Ensuring availability of quality medicines at affordable prices to all was the main key objective of the government behind opening the Jan Aushadhi Kendras. Generic versions of medicines that are required in day-to-day basis should be made available here.

Generic medicines are available at the Jan Aushadhi Kendra and the list of medicines available here is also provided to doctors of the Civil Hospital so that they can prescribe medicines according to salt, and not brand.

Hospital pharmacy too faces drug shortage

Though medicines are given free of cost to patients at the Civil Hospital but since the medicines are in shortage most of the times at its pharmacy also, patients often visit the Jan Aushadi Kendra but they have to return empty handed from there also due to unavailability of the medicines.