E-Paper
Punjab to make essential drug list medicines available in govt hospitals, health centres from Jan 26
As per the government order, no patient in the state would be asked to buy medicines from outside the hospital from January 26. Radio diagnostic tests will also be free of cost for the patients. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government will make all medicines of the essential drug list (EDL) available in government hospitals and health centres across the state from January 26.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government will make all medicines of the essential drug list (EDL) available in government hospitals and health centres across the state from January 26.
As per the government order, no patient in the state would be asked to buy medicines from outside the hospital from January 26. Radio diagnostic tests will also be free of cost for the patients.
It has been learnt that the government has already started to supply the medicines to all district hospitals, sub-divisional hospitals and community health centres (CHCs).
The government has also appointed nodal officers at all three medicine warehouses in the state to ensure that all the health centres get sufficient medicines before January 26.
Civil surgeons of all the districts have been directed to have all the medicines of the EDL round the clock in all the health centres.
To avoid any shortage of medicines at any centre, all the heads of the hospitals and health centres have to put in their demand at least five days in advance.
In case there is any delay in freight of the medicines or a shortage at the dedicated warehouse, a three-member committee headed by a civil surgeon is authorised to purchase the medicines locally.
“Medical specialists have already been asked to submit the list of medicines they are prescribing which are not mentioned in the EDL. All such medicines will be made available before January 26,” said a senior health official.
Many health centres in the state have been running sans basic medicines for years. “Last year, we didn’t have liquid paracetamol, which is given to children, for months,” said a paediatrician of the Patiala health department.
Quite often, many patients owing to the shortage of radiologists had to be asked to get the X-ray and ultrasound done from outside the hospital. Now, the government has to empanel private radio diagnostic centres to conduct tests free of cost for the patients and the centres will directly be reimbursed by the government.
Confirming the development, Dr Anil Goyal, director, Punjab Health Systems Corporation (PHSC), said, “The Punjab chief minister has said that patients should get all the medicines at the hospitals and health centres. We are working hard to ensure that all the medicines are available at the health centres.”
