GUJRAT, Jan 27: Around 90 basic health units and eight rural health centres in the district have been running without medicines for the last six months, it is learnt during a survey.

As a result, the poor patients coming from the remote areas are compelled to buy medicines from private drug stores at comparatively higher costs. A visit to BHUs at Kot Bela, Nindowal, Panjan Kissana, Chak Sada, Jamalpur, Chachian, Makiana, Marala and Fatehpur revealed that patients are not being given even the pain killers.

The RHCs at Lalamusa, Dinga, Pindi Sultanpur, Sarai Alamgir and other localities are also without medicines. The Government Medical Store in-charge told this correspondent that a huge quantity of medicines was being provided every month to these BHUs and RHCs on the directive of the authorities concerned.

A source disclosed on the condition of anonymity that those in charge of the BHUs and RHCs were being patronized by some corrupt heath officials, including an accountant, for selling officially allocated drugs to private stores.

Residents of remote areas have demanded the higher authorities that they should immediately provide medicines at the basic and rural health centres to save the patients from hassle.