Medicine shortage in govt hospitals in Kerala hits patients

Kochi: Despite assurance from concerned authorities, medicine shortage issue in government general hospitals remains unresolved.

The health minister maintains that measures are in place. Likewise, Kerala Medical Services Corporation (KMSCL), which procures medicine and medical equipment for government hospitals annually, claims that there is no shortage.

However, on ground, commoners are finding it hard to get medicines in a time bound manner and in needed quantity.

Doctors say that though authorities concerned assured the issue will be completely resolved by July, stocking is not yet effective. They also pointed out that it is not practical to divert hospital development fund for purchase of medicine.

Both lifesaving medicines and medicines for lifestyle diseases in hospitals are not adequate to meet the demand. Medicines for rabies, TT, lab medicines, oral antibiotics, injection kits and Amoxicillin are the ones which are having severe shortage.

Purchase order used to be given in January so that medicines can be distributed from April. However, this time the order was placed only between June end and first week of July.

The optimum gap for order and distribution is around seven months. The medicine production will only begin once the tender is approved after inviting applications from entities. For 2023 April, the order should be placed in August 2022. Yet the procedures are lagging.

KMSCL have software for real-time update on stock. Even then issues are emerging.

Meanwhile, the people approaching government hospitals have significantly increased.