Shortage of medicine hits asthma, diabetes patients

Asthma patients and diabetics sufferwithout doxophylline and insulin as Ahmedabad Civil Hospital did not floattender on time, leading to delay in supply of medicines

Mohammad Qureshi, a farmer from Devli in rural Ahmedabad, was exhausted: physically and financially. He had been running around the whole day trying to arrange for money to get anti-asthmatic medicine for his daughter. Though his 14year-old should have been given the medicines by authorities at Civil Hospital where she is admitted, Qureshi had to face a tough time because the hospital had not floated its tender in time causing shortage of insulin and anti-asthmatic medicines.

Qureshi, 37, said, “My daughter has acute breathing problem. Her condition deteriorated after it rained in our village. We rushed her to Civil Hospital for treatment. She got better following primary treatment. Then, the doctors refused to administer the prescribed antiasthmatic medicine, doxophylline. After repeated pleas, a nurse informed me that the medicine was not available in the hospital. They asked me to get it from outside.“

The farmer spent more than Rs 2,000 ­ an amount he could

ill-afford ­ to buy the medicine for her daughter. “The doctor asked me to buy enough medicine to cover two months. My family comprises six members and I earn a meagre living. I had to borrow money from relatives to buy the medicine,“ he added.

According to a source at the hospital, there has been a short age in supply of doxophylline and insulin for diabetics. “The tender for supply of drugs has been delayed which led to shortage. But the tender forms have been floated now, and the medicines will be supplied shortly,“ said an officer from the hospital.

Shortage of insulin is also affecting treatment of diabetics in the hospital.

Every month, hundreds of people come for treatment of diabetes as it is an expensive af fair at private hospitals.

Meet Suresh, a 28-year-old resident of rural Ahmedabad, who comes to the hospital every week with his mother who suffers from type-2 diabetes. She needs to take insulin for her diabetes. But like every week when he came to the hospital on Monday, his appointment was rescheduled for next week due to shortage of insulin.

“I earn my daily livelihood working as a plumber. I have to rely on my daily work to feed my family. I bring my mother to the government hospital for treatment as I don't have money to get my mother treated at private hospitals. Due to the rescheduling, my mother won't be able to get medicines this week,“ he added.

Civil Medical Superintendent M M Prabhakar denied knowledge of the shortage.

He said, “I will look into the matter.“