MULTAN: The shortage of life-saving medicines in the Nishtar Hospital is causing problems for doctors and patients, forcing the attendants to buy drugs from private pharmacies, Dawn has learnt.

According to sources, besides medicines, the hospital is also facing the shortage of surgical items. About 1,500 to 1,800 patients visit hospital’s three emergency wards while more than 5,000 patients visit the outpatient department of the hospital every day.

The most hit wards are emergency, medicine, intensive care unit and anesthesia, gynecology, surgery and labor room.

Pakistan Medical Association General Secretary (Multan) Dr Rana Khawar said that due to the acute shortage of medicines, patients and their attendants confront the doctors on duty despite the fact the hospital was not getting budget to buy medicines.

He said that they raised the issue before the hospital administration, the health secretary and the health minister.

“Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Mustafa Kamal Pasha says the hospital is facing the shortage of budget as the previous government provided budget only for three months which was consumed,” he said.

He said the hospital administration had requested the health department for the provision of budget.

Spokesman for the Nishtar Hospital Dr Amjad Chandio said the hospital administration had requested the authorities for the provision of budget.

He said medicines were being supplied to emergency wards of the hospital through local purchase budget.

“There is no shortage of medicines in emergency wards,” he said.

“However now we are expecting that the budget will be available after Muharram,” he added.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2018