No mechanism to check pilferage of drugs, disposables in Kashmir hospitals

The recent case where government supplies, meant to be provided free to patients, were being sold in open market at Bandipora has exposed the lack of a mechanism to prevent pilferage of medicines and other supplies from hospitals of Kashmir.

A large stock of medicines, mostly injections and medicaldisposables such as IV-sets and syringes were found on sale at a pharmacy inBandipora earlier this month. These supplies have to be provided free of costto patients seeking treatment at the health center wherefrom these had beensiphoned off to market. As per a source in health department, the supplies werepart of the stock provided by community medicine department of Sher-e-KashmirInstitute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) and directorate of health servicesKashmir (DHSK).

   

Entire stock, the source said, had prominent labels of SKIMSand JK medical supplies corporation limited (JKMSCL), yet, the accused had”managed” its sale at his pharmacy in Bandipora, the source said.

J&K Drug and Food Control Organisation (DFCO) hasinitiated proceedings under Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940 against the healthdepartment employee who owned the shop where the sale was taking place. A DFCOemployee said that many a time in past also, they have recovered hospital suppliesfrom chemists, who usually are “thick” with hospital staff. Last year, twoemployees of health department were found to be involved in stealing medicinesfrom JLNM Hospital Rainawari and selling it to medical shops.

 “The hospitals herehave very poor record keeping of the supplies in stock,” a senior DFCO officialsaid. He added that a graver issue was that there was no “receipt system” or”log register” for medicines and supplies given to patients and therefore noway to check whether the medicines are actually being given to patients seekingtreatment in hospitals or being supplied to “other places” where these could besold.

A doctor working in a tertiary care hospital in Srinagarsaid that even in big hospitals, which are supposed to keep a fool-proof trackof how much supply was sourced and how much was given to which patient have”nothing of sorts”. “The case has exposed the chinks in the healthcare systemwhere there is no accountability for the supplies in hospitals,” he said.

Director health services Kaashmir Dr Kunzes Dolmaacknowledged that there were “lacunae” in the medicine and supplies stockmonitoring. “We have a system where medicine will be dispensed against arequisition signed by a doctor but yes, it is not being followed everywhere,”she said. She added DHSK was working towards “improving the system”. Whilereferring to Bandipora case, she said, a committee is ascertaining “how muchmedicine had been provided to the hospital and how much of it had been suppliedoutside”. “The inquiry is on,” she said.

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