JOIN USA generic drug outlet, where patients can avail medicines at cheaper rates, will soon be set up at the KC General Hospital.
This would be the first of the many such outlets that the State government has planned to set up in hospitals run by the Health and Family Welfare department, according to Dr G M Vamadev, medical superintendent, KC General Hospital.
The new unit would help address the drug stock-out issues that has been a common complaint in most government hospitals. Hospital authorities will also have access to the outlet. “In case there is an emergency and the hospital has run out of stock, they can use medicines from the outlet. This will act as a backup for doctors on duty at times of emergency.” said Dr Vamadev. The outlet will cater to in-patients and is also open to other patients. Dr Vamadev said that medicines in generic drug outlets would cost 50 percent lesser than that in private pharmacies.
He said that the facility was not limited to the patients of the hospital. Anyone with a prescription can avail medines from the drug store.
The hospital would empanel accredited labs for Janani Shishu Surakasha Karyakram. With this, the patients who ought to undergo various tests can get them done from empanelled laboratories (if the facility is not available in the hospital). The fee for this service would be on the lines of that for Central government health schemes. The state-run hospital bears a new look, thanks to the conditions for accreditation laid down by the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers.
“The kitchen block has been improved. Also, experts from the board, who had come during the first round of evaluation, have said that sanitation has to be improved and the same is being worked on,” said Dr Vamadev. Besides, an ten security personnel would be deployed in key locations around the hospital.