Medicine shortage hits Kozhikode Medical College Hospital

KOZHIKODE: The GST has hit the super-specialty wing of Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital.  It is facing shortage of medicines as there are problems in  the procurement of drugs with the introduction of the goods and services tax that has brought in higher tax rates and time-consuming procedures.   College principal Dr V.R. Rajendran said the state's medical commission had sanctioned Rs 5 lakh for immediate purchase of drugs from the local market, but the GST had affected the purchase.  

Hospital continues to prescribe branded medicines due to lack of generic medicines stock, said sources.  The hospital's pharmacy has a stock of only 150 out of the 500-odd generic drugs listed by the medical board here.  Most of these medicines are not useful for patients with chronic illnesses or those in need of critical care, sources said. 

"There has been an inordinate delay in the centralised purchase and distribution of medicines and consumables," said Mr Rajesh Nambiar, representative of an NGO working for palliative care.  The entire state is facing the same issue. The hospitals and dispensaries served by the state's public health department have   essential medicine stock  only for a month-and-a-half. The Kerala Medical Services Corporation Ltd scheme to provide  costly life-saving drugs free  to the BPL patients has failed to achieve its goal. While many medicines under the scheme are not available in the MCH here, the mechanism to deliver the available medicines to the poor patients has also failed.