Hospitals face acute shortage of medicines in Kashmir

Neyaz Elahi
Srinagar, July 11: The acute shortage of medicines in Government Hospitals has been forcing different hospitals to purchase the same on exorbitant rates from private distributors. Sources said that Directorate of Health Services has miserably failed to supply the medicines to hospitals and as per officials no efforts are being done to supply drugs to the hospitals.
Administrators from different hospitals alleged that Directorate of Health Services Kashmir is not interested in purchasing medicines from J&K Medical Supplies Corporation Limited (JKMSCL). They said that the acute shortage of emergency medicines has made almost all the hospitals ill-equipped to save patients’ lives.
Hundreds of patients, including those from the under privileged section, are forced to purchase drugs from the market, while the hospitals continue to engage with the Corporation in a bitter blame game.



“There is shortage of Tetanus, anesthesia drugs, antibiotic medicines, dressing material like cotton and adhesive plaster and even basic laboratory items like glassware and chemicals and other emergency drugs in the hospitals. A couple of days back, the administrators at District Hospital Baramulla, Anantnag and Budgam were forced to purchase emergency drugs from private distributors,” said a medico posted at a district hospital to CNS.
He said hospitals are spending from their own budget and extract the money from patients by selling medicine to them at exorbitant rates.
Same is the case with Srinagar hospitals. Reports said that patients and their attendants are being asked to purchase drugs from the market. Earlier, the directions were passed and hospital administrators were asked to purchase drugs from Jammu Kashmir Medical Supplies Corporation Limited (JKMSCL), however, they refused to do so as majority of the supply was on the verge of expiry.
Despite repeated attempts, Principal GMC an Director Health Services didn’t pick up the phone while Managing Director, JKMSCL, Dr Inderjeet Baghat refused to comment on the issue. (CNS)