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6 months on, medicine shortage ails Rajindra hospital
Admitting the lapse, Punjab health minister Dr Balbir Singh says medicines will be made available from August 15.
Punjab health and medical education minister Dr Balbir Singh on Saturday admitted that the government could not keep the chief minister’s promise regarding availability of medicines at the Government Rajindra Hospital, but promised to ensure the same from August 15.
CM Bhagwant Singh Mann had promised medicine availability at the pharmacies of all the government hospitals from January 26, but the Rajindra hospital is sans basic medicines even after six months.
When questioned, minister Dr Balbir Singh said the institutions under the health department — civil hospitals, sub-divisional hospitals and community health centres — were having all the medicines. “We will try to ensure availability of medicines from August 15 at the Rajindra hospital which comes under the department of medical education and not under the health department,” he said.
The minister, who was at the hospital to inaugurate a new power line, said, “We couldn’t implement the CM’s promise in hospitals under the medical education department. I am working on it.”
The non-availability of medicines has troubled the poor patients for whom medicine purchase is sometimes out of bounds.
Cannula, IV infusion set, cotton and syringes too are not available at the hospital which is viewed as a tertiary care institute. A few months ago, the hospital had formed a committee of doctors to purchase medicines mentioned on the non-essential drug list.
The medical superintendent of the hospital had even directed the doctors to send a list of medicines (whether or not on the essential drug list) prescribed by them which was not available in the hospital on a daily basis. However, no purchase has been made so far by the committee.
The minister, when asked about Rajindra hospital’s doctors indulging in private practice, said only a few had been doing so. “This is my last warning to such doctors. They are getting a good pay so I don’t think they need to indulge in such activities (private practice). If doctors continue to do it, I will take an exemplary action against them,” said Dr Balbir Singh.
Under the Punjab Medical Education Services rules, private practice by government doctors is not allowed, but a few take it up in the absence of punitive measures.
