The State Government will soon issue orders directing doctors to prescribe only generic drugs to patients, Medical Education Minister S A Ramdas said here on Thursday.
Speaking at the inauguration additional facilities at Vanivilas and Victoria Hospitals, he said, “The drug companies may not be happy with the Government’s decision, but we will still ask the doctors to prescribe only generic drugs as they are cheaper and benefit a large section of the society.”
Twenty new beds for Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and MRI scanning section and Generic Medicine Drug Store at were inaugurated at Vanivilas Hospital and Victoria Hospital respectively.
Under the State Government rules, only 170 drugs are drug price controlled, while over 270 drugs are decontrolled. We require such a rule to help the poor. Orders will soon follow directing even the private doctors to prescribe only generic drugs to patients,” Ramdas added.
Referring to the shortage of employees in medical institutions, he said, additional 216 nurses and paramedical staff for BMC alone will be recruited by July. “We have 2,014 vacant posts, of which we have been sanctioned 1,030 posts. These will be filled up by July,” Ramdas said.
Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute Dean Dr O S Siddappa stated that new blocks in Lady Curzon, Bowring Hospital, Vanivilas and Victoria hospitals have been built and there is an increase of bed numbers from 2,221 to 3,016.
“With an increase of around 925 beds, we are short-staffed. Of this, 50 percent of the vacancies is in the non-technical staff like D- group, nurses and paramedical staff,” he added.
Chief Minister, D V Sadananda Gowda said more impetus must be to medical related issues. “More than 50 percent of the people who come to meet me at the Janata Darshan seek medical aid. So far, I have spent `42 crore on such issues and I have set aside another Rs 7 to 8 crore for this,” he added.