Chandigarh: Now, chemist shop opens at Manimajra civil hospital

Four days after the civil hospital in Sector 22, Chandigarh, got a chemist shop, a similar medical store opened at Manimajra civil hospital on Sunday

Four days after the civil hospital in Sector 22, Chandigarh, got a chemist shop, a similar medical store opened at Manimajra civil hospital on Sunday. The UT health department is in the process of opening a chemist shop in Sector 45 civil hospital too.

Since their inception, the three civil hospitals in Chandigarh have been running without a chemist shop, forcing patients and their attendants to venture out to markets for medicines. (Representative image)

Since their inception, the three civil hospitals have been running without a chemist shop, forcing patients and their attendants to venture out to markets for medicines. The OPDs at all three hospitals see a footfall daily of over 1,000 patients each.

UT health secretary Yashpal Garg, said, “In absence of chemist shops in civil hospitals, the patients or their attendants had to travel to GMSH-16, GMCH-32 or PGIMER, to get medicines at night. Patients used to get medicines from markets in the day time but they were facing harassment at night. Shops in Manimajra and Sector 22 civil hospitals have already been opened and it will be a respite for patients and their attendants”.

“We are also opening a medical shop in Sector 22 civil hospital and bidding for the same is underway,” he added.

Manimajra civil hospital, a 100-bedded facility, was upgraded from a dispensary to a hospital, a decade ago. Since its upgrade, the hospital has been providing specialised medical facilities including mother and child care, orthopaedic, ENT, gynaecology, paediatric, psychiatry, dermatology, ayurveda and homoeopathy, apart from testing facilities, but no chemist shops.

As the three civil hospitals do not have any vacant shops, the UT health department had identified a garage and vacant rooms to set up the chemist stores.