Post News Network
Sambalpur, April 18: VSS Medical College and Hospital, Burla, which was recently in news following the death of three pregnant women within five hours after cesarean section, has hit another low with patients alleging deprivation of free medicines supplied by the government to the hospital by the staff.
Patients have alleged that they are not provided free medicines even as they are entitled to get it under the Jan Aushadhi scheme. Though the hospital gets medicines worth `6 crore every year from the government, the poor and vulnerable patients of the hospital have failed to benefit from the scheme, raising doubts about the functioning of the scheme.
According to sources, there are two drug distribution centres at the hospital, while the State Drug Management Unit (SDMU) is responsible for supplying medicines to the hospital. SDMU supplies 51 types of injections, 21 types of tablets and various kinds of cream, lotions and other drugs. Though there have been demands to supply Hydrocortisone, Atropine, 100 ML normal drip and several other types of injections, the agency has failed to supply these medicines to the hospital over the years. Due to non-supply of the items, the hospital authorities have been procuring these items from various companies at higher prices, sources said.
According to sources, medicines worth `5.61 crore were purchased during 2013-14. The cost of procuring medicines went further next year to `6.81 crore. However, despite crores of rupees being spent, the patients have been deprived of free medicines.
The hospital authorities in December 2014 sent a list of medicines to be supplied to the hospital to the state government for 2015-16. Although four months have passed, no response was received from the government in this regard, sources said.
It has also been alleged that the hospital authorities have been neglecting verification of the quality and standard of medicines, supplied by various companies, to be given to patients free of cost. There have also been large-scale irregularities in procurement of medicines by hospital, sources said.
Patients allege that hospital staff has been asking them to purchase medicines from private shops on the plea that medicines at the hospital are of poor quality, while agents of a few private clinics of the town have been pursuing patients to shift to the clinics for better treatment.
The hospital officials, however, denied the allegation of denial of free medicines to the patients.
“There is not an iota of truth in the allegation. The patients have been getting free medicines and treatment at the hospital. Necessary action will be taken once we receive a written complaint in this regard,” medical superintendent Laxmikant Das said.