BARGARH :Thousands of strips of medicines, injection ampoules, disposable syringes, syrups in bottles and needles have been found on the roof of medicine store on the premises of Bargarh District Headquarters Hospital (DHH). Interestingly, Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) Dr Prakash Pradhan is clueless whether the medicines have expired or are within the expiry period.
Usually, medicines are indented by the central store at the DHH based on requirement and there is also an arrangement to procure it locally in case some medicines run out of stock, but are frequently prescribed and required. The indent is worked out based on both daily and weekly basis and the central store hands it down to the sub-store which supplies them to Drug Distribution Centre (DDC) for daily requirement at all the DHHs.
Earlier, there were medical store officers in the DHHs to look after it but with the post being abolished, the responsibility has been handed over to the ADMO (Medical). At DHHs where there is no sufficient storing space, the indent is based on monthly or quarterly basis. Despite the laid down protocol, hospital authorities have no answer to how such a huge quantity of medicines has been left in the open on the roof top.
An employee in the store claimed that medicines have been piling up over the years. He informed that truck loads of malaria drugs for distribution in Bargarh, Sambalpur and Sonepur districts had been sent back to Bargarh. Since the stock had arrived, they were forced to receive it and despite reminders to Sambalpur and Sonepur health authorities, they never turned up to collect their share of medicines.