Private pharmacies at Govt Hospitals now under Govt Scanner

Senior officials have stated that they want to reduce the financial burden placed on poor people who frequently visit government hospitals. "There are some medicines which are prescribed only in select cases. Hospital administrators are given funds to buy those categories of medicines, and other medicines on short notice", said a senior official. The superintendent of a government hospital has already prepared a list containing all the details. Authorities stated, "The steps would be taken aggressively ", said a source.

Many times patients have to buy medicines from private medical shops adjacent to the hospital under emergency circumstances. According to sources, doctors are given a list of drugs available at a hospital. Doctors, on the other hand, claim that the list isn't updated on a regular basis and that shutting down private pharmacies would benefit patients greatly, but only after assuring that all drugs are available at government hospitals. The doctors emphasized the need for a method to purchase drugs on an emergency basis.

A senior government doctor told The Hindu, "Besides, there are medicines which are costly and used rarely. There are certain situations when a low-costing drug will help a patient recover, but would not be available at the hospital. Should the patient wait for the administration to file an indent and procure the drug? What if the patient's life is at stake? Such situations have to be addressed before shutting down private pharmacies."