MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court issued notice to the state on a public interest litigation (PIL) petition seeking to ensure proper maintenance and facilities at the pharmacies of four government hospitals in the state.
A division bench of Justices R Subramanian and L Victoria Gowri was hearing petitions filed by A Veronica Mary seeking to appoint an advocate commissioner or authorities to inspect the medical storage system in the main medical stores, sub stores and pharmacies attached with Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) in Madurai, Thanjavur Medical College Hospital, Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital and KAP Viswanatham Government Medical College in Tiruchy, and submit a comprehensive report before the court.
Mary submitted that the pharmacists in GRH (Madurai) were distributing medicines in a hurry and the staff were not explaining tablets’ intake details to the patients. The pharmacy has no air conditioning or refrigerators to preserve medicines as per specific standards. Moreover, several medicines were arranged in unhygienic conditions, without proper ventilation. Further, the details of stock and distribution of medicines are not being handled in a computerised manner, thereby causing a delay in supply, she said.
The petitioner also sought the court to issue a direction to provide adequate space, computerised systems, and ensure that the medicines are stored at standard cool and cold temperature for each category of drugs in accordance with Schedule N and Schedule P of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, in the hospitals. The case has been adjourned to October 21.