KGMU patients head outside for medicines, as drugs elude subsidised stores

The complaints are particularly significant for patients travelling to KGMU from different parts of Uttar Pradesh and other states, many of whom depend on the university’s subsidised pharmacy network to keep treatment costs manageable.

For patients coming to King George’s Medical University (KGMU), Lucknow, seeking affordable treatment, the hospital’s subsidised pharmacy network is not always meeting their needs. Despite 28 hospital revolving fund (HRF) stores, patients and their relatives allege they are often asked to buy prescribed medicines and surgical items from private pharmacies outside the campus.

For representation only (Sourced)

The complaints are particularly significant for patients travelling to KGMU from different parts of Uttar Pradesh and other states, many of whom depend on the university’s subsidised pharmacy network to keep treatment costs manageable.

Rubeena, a Bahraich resident diagnosed with an ovarian cyst, was admitted to the Obstetrics and Gynaecology wing of Queen Mary’s Hospital after consultation and investigations. Before her surgery, her relatives were given a list of medicines and surgical items required for the procedure.

When they approached an HRF store, however, an endobag and 23G/25G needles were reportedly unavailable. The family said they were asked to purchase the items from outside because the products were unavailable at the HRF store. With the surgery scheduled urgently, they bought both items from a private medical shop.

In another case, Naazim, a Prayagraj resident undergoing treatment for blood cancer for several months, said he visits KGMU’s outpatient department every month for follow-up. He said medicines prescribed by doctors were often available at the HRF store, but some were unavailable during his visits, forcing him to buy them from private pharmacies.

Prof Kumar Shantanu, chairman, HRF, said the issue was not necessarily due to a shortage of medicines or their constituent salts. He said a rate contract is an approved price agreement under which a hospital can procure a particular medicine or brand at a fixed negotiated rate. Such contracts, he said, were not available for every individual medicine or brand.

He said the HRF aimed to make quality medicines from leading brands available to poor patients at affordable prices. “We are committed to ensuring that patients get the medicines they need at lower prices, so that the cost of treatment does not become an additional burden for them,” he said.

Notably, for economically weaker patients, such gaps can increase out-of-pocket expenses, reducing the intended benefit of the HRF system.