ISLAMABAD: After receiving a number of complaints, the Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) has decided to introduce a proper mechanism to ensure the availability of medicines for patients at Polyclinic and the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims).

A system similar to the Vaccines Logistic Management Information System (VLMIS) introduced for the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) would be prepared for the hospitals.

Minister for NHS Aamer Mehmood Kiani on Friday visited Polyclinic and inquired about the status of medicines. He also spoke to patients and said any lapse in supply of medicines would not be tolerated.

Mechanism similar to Vaccines Logistic Management Information System will ensure availability of medicines for patients, minister says

The minister announced that a system would be introduced and directed the hospital management to ensure supply of medicines to every patient, adding all possible steps would be taken to provide quality treatment to the patients. He claimed that the health budget would be increased as the health sector was in the priority list of the government.

In 2015, vaccines sufficient to vaccinate around 1.3 million children against five diseases were found spoiled in a store at the EPI located on the premises of the National Institute of Health (NIH). Later, with the support of USAID, the VLMIS was developed that made it possible to check the available quantity of the vaccines, its expiry date and even outflow through the web-based system. Moreover, the system also intimates about the depleting stock to ensure on time purchases.

Spokesperson for the Ministry of NHS Sajid Shah told Dawn that complaints had been received about unavailability of medicines in the hospitals.

“A number of patients lodged complaints with us that medicines are only given to those who have good connections with the doctors or staff. Those who cannot approach the senior doctors are told that the hospitals have no medicines. On the other hand, whenever the ministry and courts investigate such issues, they are also told that medicines are out of stock and usually insufficient budget is blamed for it,” he said.

Not only this issue has been taken up by the Supreme Court of Pakistan but on a number of times the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and other law enforcement agencies arrested employees of public sector hospitals red-handed while carrying medicines out of hospitals for use in private clinics and hospitals.

Mr Shah said the ministry would ensure that every patient got medicines.

“Because of the new system it will become possible to check how much medicine was given to a patient on a daily bases and in case of shortage we will be able to purchase medicines on time so that patients would not face problems,” he said.

Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2018