Minister comes to Karunya pharmacy with prescription, gets reply that medicine isn't available; action taken

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Health Minister Veena George has paid a surprise visit to Thiruvananthapuram Medical College. After receiving a patient's complaint regarding the non-availability of medicines, the minister went to the Karunya pharmacy with a prescription and suspended the Karunya depot manager for not making the medicines available.

The minister had chaired a meeting last Sunday to ensure the services of senior doctors in the emergency department and wards. Based on this, the minister visited the hospital yesterday to understand the functioning of the emergency department at night time. The Minister expressed satisfaction regarding the functioning of the emergency department. She then visited the wards. During the minister's visit to the wards, the husband of Padmakumari, a patient of the 19th ward, met the minister and complained that he was not getting any medicine from Karunya Pharmacy. Following this, the minister took the prescription and went to the Karunya pharmacy. The minister then gave the prescription to a person and asked him to buy the medicine from the pharmacy. When the person approached the pharmacy, the pharmacy employee rebuked him saying that the medicine was not available.

Soon, the minister approached the pharmacy and questioned the employee regarding the unavailability of the medicine. She then went inside the pharmacy and checked the list of medicines on the computer. The Minister directed the Medical Services Corporation to take stern action against the officials who failed to stock the essential medicines properly.

The depot manager was then immediately suspended. The Minister has strongly directed that the availability of medicines should be ensured in the Karunya pharmacies operating in other medical colleges and general hospitals.