Kerala - Kochi   

No stocks in General Hospital pharmacy

KOCHI: The pharmacy at the District General Hospital is in a pathetic condition with only the basic anti-pyretic, anti-allergic and a couple of other medicines being available. There are no IV fluids, rarely any antibiotics for the wards and of course no specific medicines.

All the medicines, except for paracetamol, avil, salbutamol, septran and cifran, have to be bought from outside. The first line of antibiotic treatment, ampicillin, is only occasionally available in the hospital. Since septran is not a favoured antibiotic because of its side-effects, the doctors seldom prescribe it.

Most of the patients in the hospital are from the lower strata of society.

According to Resident Medical Officer Junaid Rahman local purchases were limited. “We arrange for purchases according to the need of a patient, but only for those the below poverty line,” he said.

Local purchases are made with a combination of government funds and funds from the Hospital Development Society, he said.

The availability of medicines had become a problem for the past six months. There was a relief when medicines arrived in the wake of chikungunya and viral fever. A few boxes are sent sporadically, which get consumed within a week, Dr. Rahman said.

The shortage of medicines had started since the government embarked on modernising the purchase of medicines. Neither has the new system been put in place, nor has the old system of Central Purchase Committee been regular in its activity, said the doctor.

As the hospital is the referral centre for all the taluk hospitals and the primary health centres, the hospital fails to fulfil the needs of the patients for low cost treatment.

Most people from the rural areas in the district, people from Vypeen, Mulavukad islands and also from places such as Kodungallur, Chalakudy, Aroor and Chertala come here for treatment, said Dr. Rahman.

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