Hyderabad: Beneficiaries allege that medicines of lesser quality are being supplied against doctors’ prescriptions by dispensaries of the Central Government Health Scheme in Hyderabad.
The CGHS comes under the Union ministry of health and family welfare and supplies medicines to patients of government hospitals and Central government employees and pensioners. There are 13 dispensaries in Hyderabad overseen by an additional director of the CGHS.
Earlier, all dispensaries received medicines from an authorised medical store depot (MSD). Since a year the authorisation to purchase medicines has been given to the respective dispensaries by calling tenders on an annual basis. It is alleged that there is a nexus between the officers authorising tenders and the chemists, leading to low-quality medicines being provided to beneficiaries.
Mr P.V. Ramaniah, a beneficiary who has lodged a complaint with the joint director, CGHS, New Delhi, said, “Most medicines which are regularly required by patients are procured from the local chemist and not the department's store. The chemist is supplying medicines under a different name from the one prescribed by the CHGS wellness centre doctors.”
It takes 15 days to receive an insulin vial indented from a department store. The price of the medicines supplied by the chemist appears to be not checked with those on the CHGS list.
“I was prescribed Rosuvas 10, but I was given Rosubest 10. For Glimepiride 2 mg the dispensary gave me Glimdo 2 mg and for Amlodipine 5, I was given Amlip 5. If the dispensary goes on supplying different brands that are lower in quality, what will be our fate?” said Mr Ram Venkat Naidu, a Central government pensioner.
Another beneficiary, Mr K.P. Rao, told this newspaper, “For months now, most of the medicines from the Tarnaka dispensary are being issued via local purchase. The time taken to issue the medicines is about 3-5 hours each day per beneficiary. We are forced to come by 7 am and by the time we collect our medicines it is evening. Though doctors are available by 7.30 am, the support staff doesn’t come in time. This apart, about 70-80% of the medicines have to be procured from local chemists, which is creating a lot of stress and strain on senior citizens.”
A source said a letter has been sent to the additional director requesting him to display the tenders allocated to the chemists, as also the reason for selecting the chemist. His reply is awaited.
“There are guidelines regarding prescribing medicines and issuing them from the centre. Medicines must be prescribed by their generic name and not by the brand name,” the source said
The office of the additional director, CHGS, confirmed receiving the complaints of beneficiaries and said the allegations were being investigated.
Up to 400 patients visit the dispensaries each day. Each dispensary has nearly 11,000 cards with almost 50,000 beneficiaries.
