Chandigarh’s Sector 22 civil hospital finally gets chemist shop

In a major relief to patients and their attendants, a chemist shop has finally opened in Sector 22. The UT health department is also in the process of opening similar shops in the civil hospitals in Manimajra and Sector 45

In a major relief to patients and their attendants, a chemist shop has finally opened in Sector 22. The UT health department is also in the process of opening similar shops in the civil hospitals in Manimajra and Sector 45.

Since their inception, the three civil hospitals in the city, whose OPDs (out-patient departments) see a footfall of around 1,000 patients per day, have been without a chemist shop, forcing patients and their attendants to venture to markets for medicines. (Representational Image/HT file)

Since their inception, the three civil hospitals in the city, whose OPDs (out-patient departments) see a footfall of around 1,000 patients per day, have been without a chemist shop, forcing patients and their attendants to venture to markets for medicines.

UT health secretary Yashpal Garg said, “The chemist shop in the Sector 22 civil hospital has been opened to the public, while the medical shop at the Manimajra civil hospital will open next week. As for the Sector 45 civil hospital, bidding is underway for the shop.”

“In absence of chemist shops in the civil hospitals, patients and their attendants had to travel to GMSH-16, GMCH-32 or PGIMER to get medicines at night. Patients managed to get medicines from markets in the day, but were being inconvenienced at night”, he added.

Around 24 years ago, the 100-bed civil hospital in Sector 22 became the first to be upgraded from a dispensary to a hospital. It was initially started with only an out-patient department (OPD) and gradually admission facility was introduced for all specialties. It was followed by the dispensaries in Sector 45 and Manimajra being converted into 50 and 100-bed civil hospitals, respectively.

Since the upgrade, the hospitals have been providing specialised medical facilities, including mother and child care, orthopaedic, ENT, gynaecology, paediatric, psychiatry, dermatology, ayurveda and homoeopathy, apart from testing facilities. However, they lacked chemist shops.

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

Chandigarh health service director Dr Suman Singh said, “These chemist shops will remain open round-the-clock. The chemists will also provide discounts on branded and generic medicines. This will be a huge relief for not just patients admitted to the hospital, but also people living in the surrounding areas, who will be able to avail round-the clock facilities.”