Government and medical college hospitals (MCH) in State are facing an an acute shortage of drugs, especially the medicines for non-communicable diseases. If a doctor prescribed five medicines, the patient was likely to get only two of them from the hospital pharmacy.
A medical officer in a hospital in Kochi told The Hindu that if the patients came back to say that medicines were not available, the doctors would then prescribe an alternative one which was currently available. But sometimes even these would not be available.
It is the affordability of treatment that bring patients to the government hospitals. But when they are forced to buy medicines from other pharmacies then this advantage is negated.
Kerala Medical Services Corporation Ltd (KMSCL) officials admitted that there was a shortfall in the supply of medicines, especially the ones for the non-communicable diseases (NCD), Glempride and Metformin for management of diabetes, Atorvastatin for cholesterol, and Amilodipine for blood pressure.
Some pharmacies have even reported shortage of medicines for allergy, certain antibiotics among others.
According to a KMSCL official, the increase in number of patients coming to government hospitals for prolonged treatment of NCDs have upset the demand-supply chain in these hospitals. Purchases are made according to the annual indent of medicines from each hospital, though there is a budget rider too.
Some hospital pharmacies have been facing a shortage for the last three months. However, the KMSCL said that medicines were being disbursed as per schedule and the last tranche of 25% of the drugs for the current period was distributed in January.
It is up to the hospital development committees to make arrangements in case of short supply.
