Congress delegation exposes medicine shortages and quality issues at NRS hospital’s fair-price drug stores

A Congress delegation visited NRS Hospital in Kolkata to investigate concerns regarding the functioning of fair-price medicine stores in government hospitals. The delegation’s findings revealed significant shortages of essential medicines, including normal saline, dextrose saline, paracetamol saline, and Ringer’s lactate, all of which are crucial for treating patients in emergency and critical care situations. These medications, which should be available at fair-price drug stores inside the hospital, were found to be consistently out of stock, leaving patients’ families to purchase them from outside pharmacies.

In addition to the shortages, the delegation gathered multiple complaints from patients and their relatives about the quality of medicines available at the fair-price stores. Issues raised included concerns over the effectiveness of certain medications, with patients questioning whether the drugs met the necessary standards for safety and quality. Complaints regarding poor storage conditions and the potential for counterfeit or expired medications were also noted, despite the stores being set up to provide affordable, reliable medication.

The investigation also pointed out the administrative inefficiencies in the distribution and procurement processes of these pharmacies. The delegation found that the shortage of medicines is not a one-time occurrence but an ongoing issue, leading to patient dissatisfaction. While the fair-price stores are meant to provide medicines at subsidized rates, families are often forced to seek out alternatives from private pharmacies, which can be considerably more expensive.