Kerala: Thrissur MCH faces shortage of life-saving medicines over dues of Rs 400 crore to firms
The shortage of life-saving medicines at Thrissur Government Medical College Hospital is causing distress to patients, who are forced to purchase expensive drugs from private stores. Despite promises by authorities, essential medications are unavailable, leading to concerns about patient care and the accumulation of debts owed to pharmaceutical companies.
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FollowThrissur: A complaint has been raised regarding the lack of free life-saving medicines at the Thrissur Government Medical College Hospital, where thousands of patients rely on them daily. It is alleged that patients receive less than half of the medicines prescribed by doctors from the outpatient department. This situation persists despite the government's promise to provide over 300 medicines free of cost. However, patients are forced to purchase expensive medicines from outside, including those required for dialysis, at their own expense. It is also alleged that they are not receiving the necessary materials for surgery.
The Thrissur Medical College Hospital lacks many implants needed for surgeries in the cardiology and orthopedic departments. Essential medicines such as insulin, metformin, iron calcium tablets for diabetic patients, folic acid tablets for pregnant women, paracetamol syrup for children, painkillers, and ointments are unavailable in the pharmacies. Additionally, heart patients and those with rheumatism are not receiving any of the medications they previously relied on.
Patients have also alleged that authorities are advising those coming from different districts to seek treatment at primary health centers (PHCs) near their homes, as the hospital does not have more medicines than the PHCs. Typically, medicines for a financial year are delivered at the start of the year, but by mid-April this year, only a few medicines arrived in the requested quantities for the medical colleges. The crisis stems from pharmaceutical companies not supplying drugs to the Medical Services Corporation due to outstanding arrears. Additionally, the corporation purchased drugs from new companies under new contracts without settling the existing liabilities.
However, the new companies were unable to supply the medicines that the previous companies did. Most doctors at the medical college continue to prescribe the same medicines from the old company, despite those medicines being out of stock. Patients presenting these prescriptions at the hospital pharmacy are told that the medicines are unavailable and are directed to private medical stores where these expensive drugs can be easily found. Only 60 percent of the various medicines required by the hospital are provided to patients free of cost through the Kerala Medical Services Corporation. The corporation owes more than Rs 400 crore to various companies. Patients believe that for a lasting solution to the crisis, these debts must be cleared. Despite the severe shortage of medicines, no action has been taken to address the issue.
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