To ensure the adequate supply of medicines in the Government Hospitals, the Punjab Government has decided to make the supply of all medicines to District hospitals, Sub Divisional Hospitals, Community Health Centres and Block Primary Health Centres directly from regional drug warehouse. It was disclosed today by the Health & Family Welfare Minister Mr. Balbir Singh Sidhu in press communiqué.Mr. Balbir Singh Sidhu said that earlier, district hospitals had distributed the stock of medicines to all categories of government hospitals of health department after getting it from the regional drug warehouses. He said that this mechanism did not fulfil the overall requirement of all hospitals. He said that with a view to ensure the continuous delivery of medicines, now all hospitals would directly get the medicines from the concerned regional drug warehouses at Kharar (Mohali), Bathinda and Verka (Amritsar).The Health Minister added that Senior Medical Officers have been assigned the responsibility to maintain the stock of medicines which would be provided free of cost in their respective hospitals.
He also directed the SMOs to ensure the place the demand for medicines through online mode in advance.Mr. Balbir Singh Sidhu further said that civil surgeons have also been instructed to personally visit the government hospitals to check that whether the medicines are being provided to the patients free of cost or not so that needy patients needn’t have to spend money from their pocket for the medicines. He said that Captain Amarinder Singh led Punjab Government is committed to provide the quality health services and to achieve this aim, the stock of all listed medicines are available in the government hospitals. He also said that if any patient would not get the medicine from the government hospital then he/she could lodge the complaint at the official helpline number 104.The Minister further said that he also asked the regional drug warehouses to maintain the minimum stock of medicines for 3 months. He said that in case, rate contract is going to end with the company then order level would be fixed so as to maintain the stock of necessary medicines in the warehouses.