Jaipur : On one hand, Rajasthan is the leader in the free medicine scheme, on the other hand, patients are forced to wander here and there for essential medicines in the state’s largest SMS hospital. All this is happening due to lack of coordination between RMSCL-SMS, the brunt of which is being borne by the patients and their families. The surprising thing is that even a common medicine like calcium is being stamped as unavailable in the hospital.
These days, patients are having to wander around for many medicines in SMS, the biggest government hospital of Rajasthan. After consulting doctors in OPD, patients first stand in a long queue at the DDC counter, but there, two to three medicines are being stamped as unavailable in every patient’s slip. When the First India team reviewed the slips, it was found that calcium medicine is also not available in the hospital’s emergency. Apart from this, shortage of Azithromycin and some eye drops is also being shown. Regarding this, Superintendent Dr. Sushil Bhati said that RMSCL is responsible for the supply of medicines. In case of shortage of any medicine, a reminder is sent to RMSCL from the hospital. The consumption of calcium, Azithromycin and some eye drops increased suddenly, which has caused problems. Although calcium is not a life saving drug, but these medicines should be available. Due to short supply, these medicines are not available at present.
Investigation into the unavailability of medicines in the hospital revealed that the problems are being faced due to lack of coordination between RMSCL-SMS. The hospital administration sent demand for calcium medicine to RMSCL more than half a dozen times in three months. But neither the medicine nor the NOC was received from there. Similarly, despite sending demand notes five times for “Acebrophylline” which is necessary for asthma, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, adequate supply was not received. A similar situation is being seen with essential medicines like Atorvastatin, Sodium Valproate, Pregabalin. The helplessness of the hospital administration is that until the NOC for any medicine is not received from RMSCL, the medicine cannot be purchased through local purchase. Due to this problem, there is a shortage of essential medicines in the hospital. Not only this, many types of important tests are also closed due to lack of kits.
The state’s Medical Minister Gajendra Singh Khinvsar and ACS Shubhra Singh had recently held a review meeting on seasonal diseases. During this, they expressed apprehension of the outbreak of seasonal diseases in the coming days and instructed for the availability of adequate medicines, but neither RMSCL nor SMS hospital administration seems serious about these orders. The brunt of which is being borne by the patients in the form of wandering here and there for medicines. The matter of concern is that the season of seasonal diseases is going to start in the coming days, in such a situation, if this state of negligence continues, then the problems of the patients may increase further.
