GMCH, the lone specialty medical facilities provider to whole Jammu Division, is marred by various day to day problems ranging from shortage of faculty, unauthorized absence of employees, improper sanitation, inexplicable high patient- doctor ratio, however, already overstretched doctors somehow running the show despite all odds are now facing a peculiar totally unwarranted situation due to non availability of medicines even in the emergency wards after the fire in drug store on the night of 17th February resulting in total loss of medicines, allied items and medical records. The prevailing portentous situation is such that not even a single blood test has been conducted during the last 15 days owing to non availability of many reagents, ascribed to non availability of culture media, prerequisite for most of the microbiological tests, even no culture tests have been conducted for last three weeks. In case of outbreak of any epidemic leave alone the treatment GMCH cannot have the proper diagnosis in the absence of these tests.
This is not the first incident of fire as in 2016 also same drug store was devastated in the mysterious fire but as usual no lessons learnt from the past incident. Shockingly GMC took 45 days to constitute six member committee which itself speaks about the callous attitude of the concerned authorities. With the investigation handed over to Crime Branch which also keeping up to its past track record has been unable to submit the report even after lapse of two months and further at least one more month is required for completion and submission of the report. Since all the drugs as well as record have been destroyed the truth will come out in public domain or as in the past things will gather dust in files of enquiry reports. Various RTI enquiries were pending for drugs consumed and actual stock position of items and the repeated fires just point out that all is not well in the whole issue and as such cannot be buried under the carpet once again. Culprits, if any, must be brought to book to be followed by exemplary punitive departmental action.
J&K Medical Supplies Corporation Limited entrusted with the purchase of medicines has its own issues, started on June 1, 2015 after dissolving the procurement committees of tertiary care and peripheral hospitals. JKMSCL has consistently failed to supply medicines on time. Allegations of Corporation being run by non-professionals resulting in wastage of crucial time in inviting the tenders and then issuing a corrigendum without buying the drugs is a regular feature. Pending court cases filed by bidding companies against each other further complicates the matter to alarming proportions beyond ones imagination. On one hand GoI is guaranteeing cashless specialized treatment to the poor hapless patients under Ayushman Bharat scheme but on the other hand state of affairs at GMCH are so pathetic that patients are running from pillar to post to get even basic services that too after spending money from one’s own pocket. Under the present chaotic situation where patient has to spend money for medicines as well as tests things can take an ugly turn at any point of time resulting patients/attendants and medical staff confrontation which may further result in total collapse of whatever skeleton medical facilities public is getting right now and the poor patients will be left on its own. Any major road accident or other major incident will further complicate the already delicate situation.
In the present context one expects State Government to immediately look for alternative supplies of requisite medicines either by diverting stocks from other state hospitals and in the meantime exploring option of getting immediate supplies from approved vendors at specific rate contracts of PGIMER and AIIMS. Situation is worsening with each passing day and with onset of summers imminent threats of dengue, malaria, typhoid, jaundice are already looming, as such Government cannot let its guard off and one hopes all possibilities are explored at the earliest to mitigate sufferings of patients on war footing.
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