Directorate of Health and Family Welfare Services denies shortage of medicines in hospitals

PUDUCHERRY: Directorate of Health and Family Welfare Services has denied the allegations of a section of political parties that the government hospitals in the Union Territory lacked stocks of drugs and vaccines causing hardship to poor patients.

A release from the Directorate said that there were adequate stocks of drugs and vaccines in the hospitals and only quality drugs were given free of cost to patients. It was not correct to say that the hospitals were supplying expired medicines to patients.

"We are distributing free of cost quality drugs and the stock position was being monitored periodically. The stocks were replenished and medicines that would expire after a long period alone were supplied", the release said.

"A Drug Expiry register is also maintained 950 types of drugs were being purchased through a Central Procurement committee from the government run pharmacies. Hence there is no need for panic and all care and caution had been taken to ensure only quality medicines were available to patients free of cost at the government health institutions", the release said.