In a classic case of dark below a candlestick, the directorate of health services found that the real cause of shortage of drugs in the Government hospitals is the carelessness of the staff of the central store house. The Director General (DG) of health service Dr R P Bhatt inspected the store house on Saturday and found that many of the medicines which are in short supply in the hospitals of the State are present in the store.
A surprised DG asked the store in charge to immediately dispatch the available medicines to the hospitals. It is learnt that the DG also gave a stern warning to those associated with supply storage and distribution of the drugs. Dr Bhatt told The Pioneer that 52 drugs were asked to be dispatched to the hospitals. He said that demand of generic medicines from districts is being sought. Bhatt said that he would personally monitor the supply of the drugs to the hospitals.
It is worth mentioning here that hospitals of the state are facing shortage of medicines due to restructuring of the drug procurement policy. The health department has also stopped the hospitals from local Purchase (lP) of the medicines and directed the only generic medicines should be distributed from the hospitals. It is learnt that due to the clause of minimum turnover most of the suppliers are not interested in applying for the tender of the medicine supplies in the hospitals.