Stock therapy ties doctors' hands

The recent "directive" to the medical officers and specialists at the civil hospitals to use only the medicines from the stock or the government-run chemist shops such as Jan Aushadi is taking toll on the patients who need different combinations.

The recent "directive" to the medical officers and specialists at the civil hospitals to use only the medicines from the stock or the government-run chemist shops such as Jan Aushadi is taking toll on the patients who need different combinations.

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Orders from the health ministry that warn doctors of strict action in case they prescribe outside medicines have led them to make do with only what's available, even if it is of little benefit. The state government has made heavy purchases to distribute medicines free of cost but still many combinations are not in stock. The subsititutes only prolong the stay in hospital, adding to the pain.

Asked about this, Dr GS Sodhi, civil surgeon of Pathankot, said: "We are trying to make maximum drugs available. Doctors are advised to use only the medicines that are available in our stores."

Because the bacteria have developed resistance to traditional antibiotics, many patients require high-end alternatives. When the patients don't respond to the traditional treatment, they move to private hospitals, which brings a bad name to not only the civil hospitals but also the treating physicians and surgeons.