Mumbai: Patients at the state-run Sir Jamshetji Jeejeebhoy (JJ) Hospital, one of the largest public hospitals in the city, continue to face difficulties in procuring medicines. The hospital has run short of basic medicines such as paracetamol, which are are usually given to patients free of cost, compelling them to purchase these from chemist shops outside.
The issue has been raised in the ongoing assembly session by Congress MLA Amin Patel, in whose constituency JJ Hospital is situated. Patel suggested that hospitals be empowered to procure medicines on their own.
Hospital says it has forwarded list of required meds to govt
Hospital authorities said they had provided the list of medicines to the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER), which has been forwarded to the government-owned Haffkine Bio-Pharmaceutical Corporation Limited. However, there has been no response from the latter, according to sources at JJ Hospital. The FPJ tried to contact Haffkine Bio Pharma, but go no response.
Patients at the hospital have been affected by the shortage of medicines for some time now. In January, when this correspondent took his 15-month-old daughter to JJ Hospital for treatment of cold and cough, he found that basic medicines were not available.
The shortage affects 3,000 to 4,000 patients who visit the outpatient department of the hospital every day.
“Patients are facing difficulty in medicines such as paracetamol, azithromycin, cetirizine, doxycycline, diclofenac sodium, syrup asthalin, syrup azee and asthalin respules that are not available at the hospital,” said a person working at the hospital on condition of anonymity.
Patients suffering due to shortage
The situation is of grave concern as most of the patients coming to the hospital are from economically weaker backgrounds. Some of them don't even have enough money to buy medicine and are entirely dependent on the hospital.
“I have a toothache and no money to go to a private hospital. Hence, I came to JJ hospital. The doctor wrote only one medicine but that too is not available in the hospital. What is the use of coming to such a big hospital if they can't provide basic medicine?” asked Wadala resident 48-year-old Saeeda Khan.
“Procuring medicines for the hospital is a lengthy process. We need to provide a list of the medicines that are needed three to four months before the stock gets over. We had given a list of 40 medicines to DMER in December and are yet to receive them,” said a doctor on condition of anonymity. The hospital is also facing a shortage of intravenous medicines, he said.
“We don't even have many intravenous medicines. Oxytocin is an injection that is used in operation theatres during delivery. Around a thousand vials are required in a week but we have very limited stock. We are asking people to donate. We informed senior authorities about the scarcity of medicines, but there is little change on the ground,” said the doctor.
One official of the hospital said on condition of anonymity that there was a huge shortage last year but they managed to get some medicines locally to overcome the crisis. “Only 15 days ago we were authorised to buy 30 per cent of our requirements ourselves. However, the shortage is so huge that it will take some time for the situation to improve even marginally,” he said.
Senior officials of the hospital, however, said that there was no delay on their part. “We have sent our entire requirement to the DMER in September 2021. We are still waiting to receive the stock. This is over and above the list sent in December last year,” said an official.
