R47 lakh spent in 12 months, still no drugs at Jalandhar hospital

JALANDHAR: Eventhough the district health department has spent ₹47 lakh for purchasing medicines, patients here were forced to buy medicines from market, owing to non-availability of drugs in government hospitals.

The above expenditure was mentioned in the essential drug list (EDL) in last financial year. Out of ₹47 lakh, funds worth ₹25 lakh were used in March only. The remaining amount of ₹22 lakh was spent on EDL medicines from April 2016 to February 2017.

The health department has used National Health Mission (NHM) funds.

The above has been revealed in the statement of expenditure (SOE) submitted by district health department to NHM Punjab, a copy of which is with Hindustan Times.

A total of 214 types of medicines is given free to patients at government hospitals.

As per government orders, it is mandatory for doctors to prescribe medicines available inside the hospital.

Previously also HT had highlighted about non-availability of medicines in government hospitals.

A member of district health society (DHS) Surinder Saini said, “If such a huge amount was spent on EDL medicines, where have these medicines gone?” Targeting health department Saini alleged patients coming to Shaheed Babu Labh Singh Civil Hospital have suffered a lot due to nonavailability of drugs.

He said that he had raised the matter in many meetings that the patients here have been purchasing medicines at higher rates from the market despite government offers.

Civil surgeon Dr Maninder Kaur Minhas said, “For two months there was no supply of medicines from the warehouse.” “Due to non-availability in warehouse, we approached Jan Aushidhi Kendra but they too lacked the supply,” she said adding that only then the department purchased medicines from outside.

The civil surgeon said, “We have verbal instructions from higher authorities in this regard as whenever we do not get medicines from the warehouse; the purchase should be made at the market by the department.”

Shaheed Babu Labh Singh Nagar resident Sharda Rani said, “Whenever I visit civil hospital for throat illness, the medicines are never available and I have to buy them from market.”

Prabhjot Singh, a Preet Nagar resident said, “I get only one or two types of medicines but mostly others are unavailable at the hospital. The government has promised to provide free medicines but we have to still spent money.”