<p class="title">Ranganna, 62, (name changed) visits the Jayanagar General Hospital at least three times a week. A simple injection that he could administer himself at home is what brings him to the hospital.</p>.<p class="bodytext">For the poor, like Ranganna, a daily visit to the hospital for insulin is routine.</p>.<p class="bodytext">There’s no medication at home as buying the drug from a pharmacy is an expensive affair.</p>.<p class="bodytext">For diabetes patients under the BPL category, insulin shots are administered free-of-cost at government hospitals. However, they can avail this only at the outpatient department or as visiting patients at the hospital.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Even secondary care hospitals in Bengaluru have hand-to-mouth quality insulin. But they have none to spare for patients.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“If I have to get it from a pharmacy near my house, I would spend about Rs 300. Instead, I take a bus to the hospital and get injections on most days. When I have other commitments, I buy it outside,” says Ranganna. </p>.<p class="bodytext">There are many like Ranganna, confirm doctors. “We cannot call it a shortage of the drug. There is enough for in-patients. For the outpatients, we have enough only to be given at hospitals. We have a limited number of vials, insufficient for patients to take home,” said a senior doctor at the hospital.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The pharmacy at Jayanagar General Hospital confirms it procures about 70 units every month, and 20% patients who come to the hospital are diabetic on an average. “A few years ago, this stock would suffice. The number of patients has gone up now. We fear the free vials would be misused or sold elsewhere if distributed in large quantities,” says a pharmacist. </p>.<p class="bodytext">The situation is similar at KC General Hospital. “We have sufficient to provide the patient. Mostly, when we open a vial, we hand it over to the patient. The pharmacy does not have stock for patients to take home,” explains a source.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“We are procuring insulin using additional funds at the hospital’s discretion,” he adds.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Reacting to this, Dr Prabhakar T S, director, department of health, clarifies: “Being an essential drug, all hospitals must stock insulin. The reason for the current situation could be due to a delay in procurement. We will look into it.”</p>
<p class="title">Ranganna, 62, (name changed) visits the Jayanagar General Hospital at least three times a week. A simple injection that he could administer himself at home is what brings him to the hospital.</p>.<p class="bodytext">For the poor, like Ranganna, a daily visit to the hospital for insulin is routine.</p>.<p class="bodytext">There’s no medication at home as buying the drug from a pharmacy is an expensive affair.</p>.<p class="bodytext">For diabetes patients under the BPL category, insulin shots are administered free-of-cost at government hospitals. However, they can avail this only at the outpatient department or as visiting patients at the hospital.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Even secondary care hospitals in Bengaluru have hand-to-mouth quality insulin. But they have none to spare for patients.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“If I have to get it from a pharmacy near my house, I would spend about Rs 300. Instead, I take a bus to the hospital and get injections on most days. When I have other commitments, I buy it outside,” says Ranganna. </p>.<p class="bodytext">There are many like Ranganna, confirm doctors. “We cannot call it a shortage of the drug. There is enough for in-patients. For the outpatients, we have enough only to be given at hospitals. We have a limited number of vials, insufficient for patients to take home,” said a senior doctor at the hospital.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The pharmacy at Jayanagar General Hospital confirms it procures about 70 units every month, and 20% patients who come to the hospital are diabetic on an average. “A few years ago, this stock would suffice. The number of patients has gone up now. We fear the free vials would be misused or sold elsewhere if distributed in large quantities,” says a pharmacist. </p>.<p class="bodytext">The situation is similar at KC General Hospital. “We have sufficient to provide the patient. Mostly, when we open a vial, we hand it over to the patient. The pharmacy does not have stock for patients to take home,” explains a source.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“We are procuring insulin using additional funds at the hospital’s discretion,” he adds.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Reacting to this, Dr Prabhakar T S, director, department of health, clarifies: “Being an essential drug, all hospitals must stock insulin. The reason for the current situation could be due to a delay in procurement. We will look into it.”</p>
