Glucose, one of the most common and essential fluid administered intravenous (IV) in the patients, is not available in Doon Medical College (DMC) hospital as it has run out of stock.
The hospital administration has stopped providing the bottle to the in-house patients from Thursday due to which they are forced to buy it from the private medicine stores. More than 300 bottles of the IV fluid are required per month in the biggest hospital of the State.
Absence of glucose bottles in the hospital closely follows the exhaustion of another life saving drug, anti rabies vaccine. The failure of the health department to issue fresh tenders for the medicines has precipitated the crises. The Principal Medical Superintendent (PMS) of the hospital Dr R S Aswal accepted that the stock of the glucose bottles in the hospital has exhausted. He said that both Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Dehradun and health directorate are informed about the shortage of Glucose bottles.
The Chief Pharmacist (store) of the hospital, SM Dangwal said that the listed firm Hindustan Antibiotics limited which is designated to supply the IV fluids is not able to supply the glucose bottles despite regular reminders. The State health department implemented a new policy for procurement of drugs on July 13 last year. The Health experts are of the view that the new policy though appears good on paper is actually impractical.
The department has kept a minimum turnover of `20 Crore for a state based firm and `70 Crore for a national firm which intends to participate in process of tender for supplying medicines in State. This and another provision of the policy that the selected firm should supply the medicines at a rate which is at least 23 percent less than the MRP have become deterrents for the interested parties to participate in the tender process.
One of a top health official of the Dehradun said that it is for the health directorate to act on the issue which is indeed very serious. He also listed practical problems in the drug procurement policy for the shortage of medicines in government health centres.
When contacted the Director General (DG) of state health services, Dr R P Bhatt said that his office has received the demand raised by the hospital administration and the supplies would be soon made available.