PESHAWAR: Health department has decided to supply medicines to primary and secondary health facilities to enhance number of patients visiting outpatients departments of hospitals.

In this regard, the department has issued an order to district health officers (DHOs), asking them to furnish reports regarding the availability of drugs in their pharmacies and make sure to supply medicines to basic health facilities in their respective districts to facilitate patients.

Sources said that of late, it was observed that number of patients visiting OPDs in rural hospitals declined mainly due to non-availability of medicines in their stores. The department recently supplied drugs to district hospitals from provincial warehouse to enable them to give the same to patients.

Additionally, district health officers and medical superintendents have also been authorised to purchase medicines as per their needs and make adequate supply to district headquarters hospitals and other hospitals offering primary healthcare services to patients. The order issued to districts also contains a proforma wherein DHOs and medical superintendents have been directed to inform health department regarding the stock of drugs and situation of health facilities there.

DHOs and medical superintendents asked to furnish report till Monday

According to sources, many of the hospitals in different districts have run out of stock of medicines including lifesaving drugs. They said that the department planned to supply about 200 types of medical preparations to them to overcome the shortage of medicines and increase the number of patients visiting OPDs.

The hospitals will be enabled to provide timely medication to admitted patients. In view of complaints received from several healthcare outlets, the department has sought the stock position from hospitals in order to make supplies in accordance with their needs.

The hospitals have been instructed to send the information with signature of store keepers so that the shortage could be fulfilled. “The DHOs have been given deadline till Monday to send the required information to the directorate-general health services,” sources said.

Some of the districts, they said, also faced transportation issues due to which the distribution from there couldn’t be made in a timely manner. They said that the drugs supplied from the province had been tested by the drug testing laboratory (DTL) and were recommended for issuance to patients whereas some of the medicines purchased by districts at their own still awaited to be tested due to which there was delay in their distribution to health facilities.

Health department has already shared a list with DHOs regarding the medicines required by primary and secondary health facilities and wants them to make sure availability of the same for patients. “All the hospitals should have at least one month stock of medicines so that patients do not suffer for want of medicines,” sources said.

They said that health facilities should ensure availability of the drugs required by patients in diseases that occurred in monsoon season in addition to availability of 36 most essential medicines. In case of financial issues, the hospitals have been asked to inform the department about their budgetary needs so that it can ensure purchase of the medicines required by them.

Published in Dawn, August 2nd, 2024