Drug shortage at JPMC irks patients

The Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre has once again been facing acute shortage of drugs for over two weeks and the provincial health department Sindh has failed to provide required quota of medicines to the institution. A senior official of the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre told PPI on Wednesday that there is an acute medicine shortage of drugs for over two weeks. He said medicines are not available for OPD visitors. However, he added that there is no shortage of medicines in Emergency Department of the hospital.
He said patients have been compelled to purchase medicines from private medical stores. He said shortage of medicine has badly affected the performance of the hospital and added to the difficulties of patients. He said that the stock of medicines had already ended in the hospital and provincial authorities concerned could not arrange provision of more medicines as yet which is affecting poor patients visiting the hospital. The OPD patients have to stand in queues for hours to get medicines but they do not get all medicines prescribed by doctors due to shortage of in the store of this major hospital. Deputy Director Admin & Focal Person, JPMC, Dr Jawaid Jamali, however, said the supply of medicines has already been resumed in the hospital and situation will improve within a few days.