By Asma Kundi
ISLAMABAD: Two Major public sector hospitals, Islamabad Polyclinic and Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) are dealing with the worst shortage of medicine, adding to the miseries of poor patients.
A visit by the World Echo in both the hospitals revealed that needy patients are refused to get free medicines from hospitals and are asked to buy from the market.
Abdul Qadir, a middle-aged man visiting the PIMS dermatology ward, and her wife were asked by the doctor to purchase medicine for skin allergy from the market. These words by the doctor visibly increased his worries, and he looked at his wife with many questions in his eyes.
He shared, “I am a daily-wager and sell corns in streets and markets of Dhok Kala Khan, Rawalpindi. I hardly earn enough money to provide my kids with food. My wife has a skin allergy, and it gets worse in winter. I came here for treatment and got the free treatment but now wondering how costly these medicines would be?”
An official at the PIMS Out Door Patients (OPD) department told this scribe, on condition of not being named, that only 28 types of medicines are available in PIMS, including the emergency department. “There is a huge shortage of medicine, and most patients are asked to buy them from the market. Even staff here are refused the medicines,” he lamented.
Polyclinic hospital
The other major public sector hospital Polyclinic is also facing the same issue, and recently the problem got worst as in the last two months, medicines for various children diseases are short. People complained that even though Paracetamol and Amoxil are essential medicines to treat fever, pain, and infections, they are not available in emergency circumstances in the Polyclinic.
A resident of Bhara Kahu, visiting Polyclinic on Wednesday, was prescribed Panadol, Amoxil, and Rigix for fever and chest infection of his 5-year-old son. Like many others, he was also refused free medicines.
He said he had no idea about the prices of prescribed medicines. Still, he showed concern over the non-availability, saying, “The inflation in Pakistan has already made lives of the poor miserable. I am clueless about how to manage the necessities of my family. These free hospitals are more than a blessing, as we cannot even think of visiting a private clinic. However, the government should take action to provide free of cost medicines as well.”
An official in Polyclinic said that due to non-payment of previous tenders by the government, the supply of medicines was stopped. The issue will be resolved soon, he assured.
On the other hand, chemists in the market are also facing a need for more medical supplies. Heparin LEO, an injection used for dialysis and to break up blood clots, is not available in the market. The price of this injection is Rs.600 to Rs.900, and it is available in black for 2000 only for those with sources or connections. Insulin medicines used by sugar patients are also out of the market.
