HC lens on lack of essential medicines at SCB's Niramaya centres
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The division bench comprising Justices S K Sahoo and V Narasingh in its order on Friday observed that poor patients are being forced to purchase costly medicines from private shops due to systemic lapses after the report published in a local daily pointed out that most essential drugs are not available at the Niramaya centre in SCB.
"Patients are being made to wait for hours and are ultimately forced to buy medicines from outside.
In many cases, they simply cannot afford to do so," the bench noted in its order.
The Niramaya scheme is the state's free drug distribution programme aimed at ensuring availability of essential medicines in govt hospitals.
The court also expressed concern over the practice of doctors prescribing medicines on plain paper, instead of the hospital's official pads. "This makes it harder for patients to claim medicines under the scheme," the bench said.
Appearing before the bench in virtual mode, SCB superintendent Dr Goutam Satapathy submitted a detailed status report. He stated that since the scheme's launch on May 1, 2015, 329 types of medicines are being distributed free of cost at six Niramaya counters in SCB, with two more counters — one each at surgery and orthopaedics OPD — in the pipeline.
Satapathy said that while the Odisha State Medical Corporation Ltd (OSMC) is the main supplier, some medicines may go out of stock due to high demand.
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"Such shortages are temporary and replenishments are made at the earliest," he said, adding that medicines not available with OSMC are sourced through empanelled shops under the local and bulk purchase schemes for indoor patients.
He further informed the court that the ongoing SCB redevelopment project includes plans for a fully automated drug distribution system using computerised barcoded pneumatic mechanisms.
To improve transparency and reduce patient inconvenience, Satapathy assured the court that digital display boards will be installed at each Niramaya centre to show the real-time availability of medicines alphabetically. "Unavailable medicines will also be marked clearly so that patients do not wait in vain," he added.
However, the bench directed further hearing on the matter on Sept 4.
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