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Mohali: Civil surgeon raps Dera Bassi SMO for not prescribing generic medicines
Civil surgeon Dr Sangeeta Jain also visited nearby chemist shops and found that many patients were forced to purchase medicines from private chemists, unaware that the government provides essential drugs at no cost
Civil surgeon Dr Sangeeta Jain conducted a surprise inspection at the civil hospital in Dera Bassi and took serious note of irregularities in the distribution of free medicines. Dr Jain asked the senior medical officer (SMO) to explain why free medicines are not being provided and why prescriptions are pushing patients toward private pharmacies.The inspection revealed that patients were neither being prescribed generic medicines nor informed about their entitlement to free drugs.
Dr Jain also visited nearby chemist shops and found that many patients were forced to purchase medicines from private chemists, unaware that the government provides essential drugs at no cost. “During the inspection, I interacted with several patients who were buying medicines from chemist shops. On checking their prescriptions, it was clear that doctors were not prescribing generic medicines,” she said. Dr Jain said that any doctor directing a patient to buy medicine from outside is committing a serious violation, and it may be treated as a criminal act.
She further pointed out that the Punjab government has allocated both medicines and funds to ensure free drug distribution. “A total of 336 types of medicines are provided free of cost by the state government. In addition to this, funds have been given to SMOs to provide other required medicines not available under the standard list,” Dr Jain said.
The civil surgeon emphasised that these resources must be used strictly as per government protocols and warned of strict action if negligence is confirmed. An internal inquiry is likely to follow based on the SMO’s statement and hospital records.
