Medicine shortage in hospitals including Medical Colleges; patients in distress

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Although a month and a half have passed since the start of the new financial year, primary health centres to medical colleges in the state are running short of even essential medicines. Patients dependent on government hospitals are facing huge difficulty because of this and have no idea what to do.

Patients who travel several kilometres to see the doctor and stand in a long queue before the pharmacy are getting the reply that the medicine is out of stock. Most of the government hospitals are witnessing a shortage of medicines such as Metformin and Glimepiride for diabetes, thyroxine sodium for thyroid, atorvastatin for cholesterol and iron and calcium tablets. Amoxicillin, a commonly used antibiotic, is also unavailable in many hospitals.

The medicine for insulin is also out of stock in most Taluk and General Hospitals. Every financial year, after preparing the indent of essential medicines required by hospitals, the medicines are procured through the KMSCL and distributed to hospitals. The indent of the medicines required for this year was obtained from the hospitals in October last year. Accordingly, the stock should arrive by the end of March. However, the stocks have not yet reached the hospitals.

There was a shortage of medicines in the months of February and March. At the time, the authorities blamed the shortage on the approaching end of the fiscal year. However, medicines remain out of stock even in mid-May. There are lakhs of patients, including the elderly, who visit hospitals once in two weeks to buy their medicines. They are sighing as they are unable to buy medicines from outside medical stores due to lack of money.

Reasons for medicine shortage

1. The government owes over Rs 470 crore to drug companies

2. Companies are not providing medicines due to non-payment of dues

3. Many essential medicines are held by old companies

4. Newly tendered companies do not have essential drugs

5. Mismanagement by authorities further exacerbates the problem

No medicines for tuberculosis
It has been more than four months since the shortage of anti-tuberculosis drugs began. The central government provides these medicines free of cost to the states. It is distributed through District TB Centers. This too has stalled. Treatment of tuberculosis patients and drug distribution take place under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme. Hospitals are unable to purchase medicines on their own as there is no NHM fund. The crisis will worsen if an alternative method is not adopted to find other funds.