The Government-run hospital doctors won’t be prescribing drugs from outside or taking ruse of ‘medicine out of stock’ from February 1 in the national Capital, as the Delhi Government is going to provide necessary drugs to all the hospitals.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday announced that from February 1, there will be no shortage of medicines and consumables mentioned in the Essential Drug list in the Delhi Government hospitals. “If any one prescribes, action would be taken against them,” said Kejriwal.
Also, a helpline number will be launched on February 1, where people seeking treatment at Delhi Government hospitals will be able to report about any shortage in medicine supply. According to Kejriwal, a list of essential drugs is also being finalised.
Briefing the media, Kejriwal announced that doctors of hospitals run by the Delhi Government would not prescribe drugs and medicine and other consumables to patients from outside or medicine is out of stock.
“Patients always complain about not getting the medicines in Government hospitals. From February 1, no patient will be told that the medicines are out of stock there. We will ensure 100 per cent availability of medicines and consumables as mentioned in the Essential Drug list (EDl) at the city hospitals,” said Kejriwal, adding that 2016 will be the year of health and education for Delhiites.
Kejriwal and Health Minister Satyendra Jain has earlier held a meeting with Medical Superintendents of hospitals and Chief Medical Officers of Government- run hospitals after that it was decided that there was enough stock with the Government hospitals and hospitals and central procurement agency will ensure six months stocks of medicines and consumables in Delhi.
It was also decided that doctors at hospitals won’t prescribe medicine from outside in the pretext of out of stock medicine.
To ensure proper monitoring, the Delhi Government will also launch a helpline number on which citizens would be able to report about the shortage any medicine in a hospital. Citizens will also be able to send a copy of the prescription on the helpline number, so that Health department can make the medicines available.
The CM said the EDl will be expanded to include new medicines. All the hospitals have been asked to maintain three months reserved stock of drugs at all times and that further reserved stock of three months will be maintained by the CentralProcurement Agency (CPA).
“This is intended to remove the possibility of stock outs. Meanwhile, we have asked the Medical Superintendents to send a list of the medicines and consumables, whose stock is of less than 21 days, to the Central Procurement Agency. We will then replenish the stock by January 26,” he said.
Besides, Medical Superintendents would also be able to purchase drugs from locally empanelled chemists in the case of an emergency. Doctors have also been advised to recommend medicines as per the Essential Drug list.
The CM further said the Delhi Government was also planning to waive off the user charges which were presently levied on various activities like diagnostic tests etc.
The Health department will try to reduce the number of items on which user charges are levied and come out with a list on the same next week.