Contrary to the claim of the State Health Minister Surendra Singh Negi that there is no shortage of medicines in the associated hospital of Government Doon Medical College (GDMC) the fact remains that the hospital is deprived off many medicines and surgical equipment. The basic tablets of Iron and folic acid advised to the pregnant women are off the shelves of the biggest hospital of the State.
Similarly Ringer’s solution, also called Ringer lactate (Rl), is also not available in the hospital. This solution is normally used by the doctors for fluid resuscitation after an injury. Insulin injection is available in the hospital but its syringe is not available. In absence of these syringes, the Anti Rabies Vaccine (ARV) is being administered by a bigger syringe due to which wastage of the costly vaccine is taking place. With the help of insulin syringes four to five doses of vaccine can be administered from one vial of ARV but in absence only three doses are being made.
Anti-epileptic and anti-anxiety drugs are also absent from the store of the hospital. The widely used Paracetamol (pain killer) and Avil (anti allergic) injections too are conspicuous by their absence. Some of the multivitamin tablets which used to be in the hospital too have done a vanishing act.
One of a pharmacist of the hospital informed The Pioneer that earlier many medicines were procured by the hospital in local Purchase (lP) system which was closed last year. Similarly the hospital used to take some medicines from ESI till last year; this facility too is not available now. The hospital is authorised to purchase 103 medicines from listed companies but in absence of budget the hospital is yet to float its own tenders.
The problem of shortage of medicines surfaced after the Doon hospital and district women hospital were merged into the medical college. The health directorate which used to supply a major portion of medicines to the hospital stopped providing medicines on the plea that the hospital is now part of the medical education department. On the intervention of Chief Minister and Principal Secretary Health, the health directorate is now providing medicines to the hospital on returnable basis.
The Medical Superintendent (MS) of the hospital, Dr KK Tamta said that all the medicines present in the store of health directorate are available in the hospital. He further informed that the hospital has prepared its own tenders for purchase of medicines, surgical equipment and radiology films and once the budget is received these tenders would be floated.