CUTTACK: Cancer patients at the State Government-run Acharya Harihar Regional Cancer Centre (AHRCC) are suffering due to non-availability of many medicines under the Niramaya scheme. Under Niramaya, a patient is entitled to free drugs as suggested in the prescription. The State Government’s flagship programme Niramaya was introduced with an aim to provide free medicines to cancer patients.
Under the scheme, as many as 90 anti-cancer drugs are being supplied to AHRCC by Odisha State Medical Corporation Limited(OSMCL). Sources said attracted by the scheme, patients from outside the State also visit AHRCC for treatment. Patients alleged that they have been deprived of availing some essential anti-cancer medicines for the last one month as these are not available at Niramaya counters of the hospital.
“My father was prescribed seven medicines but we could avail only three of these from the Niramaya counter. I am left with no options and plan to buy the medicines from the open market at a higher price,” said Ratnakar Das, an attendant of a patient. “Many essentials medicines are not available at the hospital’s Niramaya counter. As per the advice of hospital authorities, we buy medicines from the outlets outside AHRCC by shelling out more money,” said Urmila Pradhan, a relative of a patient.
Contacted, AHRCC’s Store Medical Officer Dr Satyabrata Sahu admitted that the stock of 27 varieties of anti-cancer medicines has been exhausted since the last one month. “We have already sent requisition for the medicines. To meet the demand during emergency cases, the hospital authorities are arranging the medicines for patients through local purchase,” he said. “As per our indent, OSMCL has already supplied 12 anticancer drugs. Efforts are on to avail the rest 15 varieties of anti-cancer drugs at the earliest,” Dr Sahu added.