Skip to main content

Patients compelled to buy medicines at exorbitant prices

What happened to hyped Drug Policy?
8/31/2015
Nitesh Sangral
Early Times Report  

Jammu, Aug 30: Much hyped Drug Policy is still a distant dream for the poor and needy patients of Jammu and Kashmir as many believe it was swept under the carpet owing to the influence of strong drug lobby that operates in the state. Pertinently, the drug policy for the state was sanctioned in 2012 to ensure availability of quality drugs to patients in all government hospitals and check influx of spurious drugs besides enforcing rational prescription. Reliable Sources in health department told Early Times that many times, the concerned officials of the hospitals, NGO's and other organizations had requested and called on higher ups of the health Department but to little avail. "some officials of the department have nexus with the pharma companies and they earn huge profits by helping or boosting the business of private chemist shops in the state, "they claimed.
They further said that the government of India had sent many reminders to the State Health Department to provide better health care facilities to poor and needy people of the State but owing to lackadaisical approach of officials of concerned department, it failed to implement and provide cheaper drugs to the poor and needy patients.
Sources claimed that the poor patients- who couldn't afford costly medicines- are compelled to purchase costly medicines from the private shops and government hospitals are boosting the business of private chemist shops.
"The government has failed to implement state drug policy which was aimed to make drugs available to poor in all government hospitals in the State, "said president of DAK Nisar-ul-Hassan, adding due to non-implementation of drug policy deprives patients from fundamental right of access to medicines which are essential component of health care.
Commissioner Secretary of Health Department MK Bhandari did not respond to repeated calls for a comment.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

GMC Jammu gets 15 more PG seats, Srinagar bags 29

Nitesh Sangral Early Times Report JAMMU, Mar 6: The State Health Ministry' claims regarding increase in PG seats in broad specialties have fallen flat as Medical Council of India has granted only 13 more PG seats to the Government Medical College Jammu, while GMC Srinagar has got 30, thanks for not conducting Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) of faculty members. It is penitent to mentioned, Minister for Health Bali Bhagat assured Upper House that the Principal Secretary H&ME Department handed over the proposal for increase of 133 PG seats in GMC, Srinagar and 107 PG seats in GMC, Jammu, as one time increase in Medical Colleges of State for the year 2018-19. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, through its communication dated March 6, 2018, has conveyed its approval for admitting 15 students in GMC Jammu and 29 for Srinagar for 2018-19. As per notification, in GMC Jammu the total number of existing seats for MD Anaesthesiology was 5 while the seats available ...

'Rx: I am busy at my clinic'

Despite official ban, many GMC docs do pvt practice 7/13/2017 Nitesh Sangral Early Times Report Jammu, July 13: The Vigilance Organisation raided private clinic of a doctor here earlier this week, revealing how government doctors do not care a fig for the official ban on the private practice. The sleuths of Vigilance on Tuesday conducted raid at the clinic of Dr Ashutosh Gupta, the head of Radiotherapy department of GMC Jammu, and found him present there, in brazen violation of the government order which bars the HoDs from private practice. On Wednesday, the Health department placed Dr Gupta under suspension (vide its order number 368-HME-2017) till pending enquiry. Dr Rahul Sharma shall hold the change of HoD Radiotherapy. Wrong practice There are many other HoDs of GMC&H and its associated hospitals, who are indulging in private practice. Owing to weak administration of GMC and others hospitals, these HoDs can be found present in their private ...

Ex-principal levels serious charges

'Junior doc runs GMC Jammu' 8/7/2017 Early Times Report Jammu, Aug 7: Dr Zahid Gillani, a former principal of Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu, has accused his successor, the incumbent principal, Dr Sunanda Raina, of hatching a conspiracy against him that led to his removal from the coveted chair. Dr Sunanda "with zero merit, 3rd after me in seniority, her wakil (advocate) in court says she is senior most above Dr Ganshyam and Dr Shashi…I am sorry to say GMC faculty never said any(thing) for injustice, dear more than 75 DPC, 125 OPG I did, now please speak don't be afraid," Dr Zahid wrote in his Facebook post. "Request Honb'le PM, CM, Bali Bhagat and Honb'le Dr Jatinder Singh for action… Sahib for Zahid 3 orders in two days (three orders have been taken against Dr Zahid within two days) but the liar lady (Dr Sunanda) she is enjoying no enquiry (he talk about baseless allegation level by Dr Sunanda and no action has been t...