Team Blitz India
KOZHIKODE: Government hospitals in Kerala are staring at a shortage of critical medicines and essential supplies, but the General Hospital in Kozhikode is the worst affected.
A senior healthcare professional at the hospital said that there was a shortage not only of medications for respiratory diseases, fever and diabetes but also of crucial supplies like cotton wool.
According to the hospital authorities, an increase in patients at the out-patient (OP) departments during the current financial year from the previous year resulted in a shortage of medicines and essential items.
Explaining the situation, the hospital officials said that the annual purchase of medicines and supplies is typically based on the number of patients who sought treatment during the previous year. However, this year witnessed a higher influx of patients compared to the corresponding period last year, exhausting the hospital stocks by December, the official added.
They also said that the first stock for the next financial year would be delivered only in April. “We cannot hold on till then,” the officials said.
When contacted, Dr Bhagyarupa, the Assistant Resident Medical Officer (ARMO) of Beach Hospital acknowledged the shortage and shared efforts to address the issue. “We are trying to solve the issue by arranging medicines and other supplies from other districts”. She emphasised a critical scarcity of items required by the casualty department, such as gloves and gauze.
