E-Paper
To stop cheating, GMCH puts up medicine price list on website
To bring more transparency in the sale of medicines, the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, has uploaded the price list of all medicines that are being sold by chemists in the hospital.
To bring more transparency in the sale of medicines, the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, has uploaded the price list of all medicines that are being sold by chemists in the hospital.
At present, there are two chemist shops in the hospital and both have provided the complete list of medicines available at their shops, along with their price, to the hospital administration. And the hospital has put both lists on its website. These lists can be accessed by anybody.
Sources revealed that the decision came in the wake of a number of complaints regarding the sale of medicines at inflated prices being received by the hospital.
When contacted, GMCH director-principal Dr Atul Sachdev said, "A lot of patients were complaining regarding the sale of medicines on inflated prices. So it has been done to bring in more transparency. Even patients can check on their own, whether the medicines have been sold to them at genuine price or not."
The hospital administration also said that they if any patient found any regularity, he/she could approach the GMCH officials and appropriate action would be taken against the chemist.
It was a common practice at GMCH that instead of medicines prescribed by the doctors, the chemists were selling their expensive substitute. As per the tender terms and conditions, any substitute to prescribed medicines by any chemist at GMCH amounts to a heavy penalty.
Significantly, in November 2008, PGIMER first made it compulsory for the chemists on the institute premises to offer at least 15% discount on branded medicines, 30% on surgical items and generic medicines. Last year, the similar pattern was followed by the GMCH also.
