HANAMKONDA: While Telangana is still struggling to limp back to normalcy after the outbreak of COVID-19, a severe shortage of medicines has hit the newly constructed Warangal Super-Speciality Hospital located on the Kakatiya Medical College (KMC) campus.
Though citizens belonging to the tri-cities of Warangal, Hanamkonda and Kazipet considered it a lifeline after the hospital was thrown open to the public for outpatient (OP) services about six months back, they were being forced to approach private medical shops as the hospital’s pharmacy was not well-equipped to meet the requirements of hundreds of patients.
Constructed at a total cost of Rs 150 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), using Rs 120 crore allotted by the Centre and Rs 30 crore by the State government, the super-specialty hospital was sanctioned about four years ago.
Though it has been operational for the past few months, the authorities concerned have not been able to ensure its official inauguration due to various technical difficulties.
However, the State government allowed the authorities to throw it open to the public for OP services after taking into consideration that Telangana was struggling to deal with the rising number of non-COVID cases.
It may be recalled that the BJP leaders and activists had, at that time, made a hue and cry over this decision stating that the TRS government did not consult the Centre before giving permission. The pathetic condition of the MGM Hospital's OP department has also added to the woes of the patients.
Though the super-speciality hospital has been offering the services of good practitioners, the shortage of medicines has reportedly hit its day-to-day functioning, leaving the patients in the lurch.
M Narendra, a patient belonging to Sangem mandal, said: "I first approached the MGM Hospital for a health check-up. However, the MGM staffers asked me to visit the Warangal Super-Speciality Hospital instead. After consultation, a doctor there prescribed medicines for 30 days. However, when I approached the pharmacy, the staffers were able to provide medicines for only 10 days citing a shortage."
When contacted, MGM Hospital Superintendent Dr V Chandrashekar was not available for comment.