By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: Despite lakhs spent in advertisement and other campaigns, the Odisha Government has completely failed in providing adequate and necessary medicines to poor people under the Niramaya Yojana. PRAYAS, Odisha, two leading national level advocacy group working on health and patients welfare issues, attacked the State Government for its dilly-dallying attitude. Both on urban and rural areas,people are facing hardship in getting free medicines under Niramaya Yojana in State, said Priyabrata Swain, State Coordinator.
The State Health and Family Welfare Department seems not bothering on this issue with patients undergoing treatment at various Government run Medical and Hospitals facing a lot of hardship.
A visit to Unit-6 Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar, will speak laudably how the Government playing with patients.“If doctors write prescription asking for 5 different medicines, only 1 or 2 category medicines available at Capital Hospital, compelling us to purchase the medicine from private retailers,” said a patient undergoing treatment.
It may be noted here that, on May 1, 2015, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had launched ‘Niramaya’, a scheme under which 570 different medicines will be provided free in Government hospitals.
The scheme covering three government-run medical colleges and hospitals; 30 district headquarters hospitals besides Capital Hospital and Rourkela government hospital. But in reality, patients not getting medicines in time and purchasing it from outside.
The state government has made a budgetary allocation of Rs.200 crore for distribution of free medicine. However, presently, the government claiming it is providing 272 different medicines at the hospitals but in reality, nothing seen with poor patients facing lot of problem.
Odisha State Medical Corporation, Government’s nodal agency for procurement and distribution also failed to furnish its duty.
