Avinash Azad
Jammu, Oct 30: Government claims to provide best health care facilities to the people of the state prove 'hoax' as leaving poor patients at the mercy of God, the department of Oncology of Government Medical College and Hospital is running without anti cancer medicines since the department was established, impelling poor patients to buy these expensive medicines from open market to satiate ulterior motives.
"Amid huge purchase of various medicines being made by government, patients suffering with deadly disease have to purchase expensive medicines from the market", said a source in GMC, adding that since the Union Government has decontrolled some medicines including anti cancer drugs, which has further exaggerated the plight of poor patients.
They alleged that the nexus of Pharma-companies with governments has left poor people on the mercy of God. "Majority of our rural as well as urban population are poor, and they prefer GMCH to get their treatment; But we are unable to meet their expectations, as we don't have anti cancer drugs", said a senior doctor whishing not to be named.
"My uncle was suffering with cancer since long and we admitted him at GMCH few days back, but un-able to buy costlier medicines we could not save him", said Rakesh a resident of Billawar, adding that they approached hospital management seeking free medicine, but the management denied him the same.
"There are many such un- reported cases in hospitals, where patients die without medicines", he said, adding that with creation of new departments in hospital government should insure the availability of free medicines for poor patients at Government hospitals.
Meanwhile, a senior doctor at GMCH seeking anonymity said it was also learnt that the medicines which were available in hospitals were not being given to the patients.
"Some doctors working at various government hospitals in Jammu are prescribing selective medicines in lieu of vested interests", he said, adding that patients have to purchase only the medicines prescribed by doctors", he regretted.
Meanwhile, when contacted, principal GMC said that an annual grant of Rs. Ten lakhs is allocated to the oncology department of GMC, but since the funds are far less than actually required, we have put in place a committee that assesses cases on merit and then they are compensated to the tune of a maximum of Rs. 25 thousand per patient. |
