“Government medical colleges in Maharashtra are facing a scarcity of drugs and other items such as gloves, syringes and dressing material, which are essential to provide basic healthcare to patients,” MARD said in a statement released to the media on Thursday. They said it was shameful on the part of doctors to ask poor patients to buy such basic items. “Imposing such out-of-pocket expenditure has a larger impact on their lives.”
A MARD member said even Mumbai’s civic hospitals such as Sion and KEM have these shortages. Only colleges in Latur and B J Medical in Pune had the supplies, they added.
Dr T P Lahane, head, Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER), said the state has already placed a Rs 153 crore order for procurement of drugs and consumables. “The consignment is ready. We should be getting the stocks shortly,” he said.