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Ludhiana: With one pharmacy, civil hospital grapples with surge in demand
As per the government directive effective January 26, no patient in the state is supposed to purchase medicines from outside the hospital
The Ludhiana civil hospital’s lone pharmacy was on Monday swarmed by patients following Punjab government’s recent announcement of free medication from public healthcare centers, with only one pharmacist managing the distribution of medicines for an average of 1,000 people within a narrow six-hour window.
As per the government directive effective January 26, no patient in the state is supposed to purchase medicines from outside the hospital. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government aims to make all the essential drugs listed in the Essential Drug List (EDL) available in government hospitals and health centers across the state.
On Monday, the pharmacy at the civil hospital witnessed a huge number of patients. The unmanaged crowd not only led to difficulties in understanding the medication dosage, but also resulted in long queues and extended waiting times for patients who have already spent considerable time outside doctors’ cabins.
“They have given me eight medicine stripes and syrup. But due to so much rush and people trying to push in for their turn, I could not hear the dosage directions properly. There is also sleep-inducing medicine in my prescription, but I do not have any idea which one it is, when I have to take them, and in what amount,” Snehlata Devi, a 57-year-old patient, said.
Ruchi, 33, who recently underwent surgery, said , “It has been over 15 minutes since they took my slip, but I am yet to receive medicine. I cannot stand any longer; my stitches are hurting unbearably.”
The pharmacy is being managed by a single pharmacist and four B.Pharma students working as interns. Two interns handle medicine dispensing windows, while the other two manage bookkeeping of medicines and stock.
“To cater to such an influx of patients in a six-hour timeframe, along with providing them with dosage directions, we need more manpower. These students are doing their best, but they need supervision. We have only two windows for medicine dispensing; we need at least four and an additional pharmacist who can supervise along with me,” Pharmacist Niranjan Singh said.
Senior medical officer Mandeep Kaur Sidhu said, “The change is recent, and we are trying our best to implement all the guidelines received from the higher office. As far as the pharmacist is concerned, we have written to the civil surgeon, and we are expecting the appointment of additional staff shortly.”
Additionally, the allocated budget for non-essential drugs for three months at the district hospital is ₹25 lakhs, while the doctors’ recommendation list for the same amounts to ₹1.30 crore for one month.
A source from the civil hospital reported that the doctors have received their recommendation list back for review and adjustments to align with the budget.
