Angul: Always at the centre of controversy for some or the other reason, the district headquarters hospital here is in news for not providing prescribed medicines under ‘Niramaya Yojana’ to the patients. The information board that shows the available list of medicines at the hospital has also not been updated for nearly a year now.
The DHH has been included under the ‘Niramaya Yojana’ run by Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Odisha.
The medicines available under Niramaya scheme are divided into 14 categories. While 21 types of antibiotics come under category A, 42 types of analgesic medicines come under category B, six types of anti-malaria come under category C, two types of deworming medicines come under D, seven types of cold and fever related medicines under E, six types of skin medicines under F, seven types of stomach elated medicines under G, three types of diarrhea medicines under H, nine types of vitamins and minerals under I, seven types of nerve-related disorder medicines under J and five types of surgical medicines come under the category K.
Similarly, eight types of asthma medicines fall under L category, five types of stomach pain medicines under M category, five types of anti-diabetic medicines under N category, four types of leprosy medicines under O category, six types of eye medicines under P, three types of anemia medicines under Q category and 33 types of other medicines fall under R category should have been made available at the Niramaya counter.
In total, 179 types of medicines should have been made available to the patients visiting the hospital.
Patients coming from different parts of the district and beyond have alleged that most of the medicines are not available at the hospital. The hospital authorities don’t think it necessary to put up an updated banner for the patients to know the availability of medicines either.
A list was put up for the last time September 12, 2018. It has never been updated ever since. The list shows that all the medicines barring a few supplied to the DHH by Rogi Kalyan Samiti are available at the counter.
But the reality shows up a different picture. Only a few medicines are available, forcing the patients to buy the rest ones from nearby medical stores.
The then health minister Damodar Rout had inaugurated the medicine distribution counter May 1, 2015. At that time, a list was put up near the counter for public view. At that time, it was also decided that a tick mark would be put up against available medicines. This is clearly not being followed.
Besides, the Niramaya medicine distribution counter has been shifted and the new counter is devoid of the available medicine list.
A senior official, wishing not to be named, said steps would be taken soon to update the information board. The medical manager, meanwhile, could not be reached for his reaction despite several attempts.
PNN