Why AIIMS doesn't need a pharmacy?

The institute sitting on a file to start a shop for subsidised medicines to patients

The institute sitting on a file to start a shop for subsidised medicines to patients

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) does not want its patients to get medicines at a subsidised rate, it has been alleged.

Treat them well: Over 6,000 patients visit AIIMS OPD every day. The biggest hospital in the country has no pharmacy on its pic/Mid Dayu00a0u00a0

The biggest hospital in the country has no pharmacy of its own and a proposal to set up a drug shop, offering medicines at lower rates, has been gathering dust in the institute office.

Sureka Public Charity Trust had proposed to open a charitable medicine shop on the AIIMS premises in 2005, providing drugs at 50 per cent discount to patients. After three years of negotiations and persuasion, the then AIIMS Director, P Venugopal, had appointed a committee in April 2008 to examine the proposal.

The panel gave a favourable report in June 2008 and the director approved the recommendation of the special committee. Subsequently, the estate office administration of AIIMS earmarked an area for the chemist shop.

But two years on, the proposal has been withheld by the office of the Deputy Director of Administration without any reason being assigned for the same, thereby depriving deserving patients the financial benefit of Rs 7 to 10 crore per month.

The trust claimed that even a recommendation from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare failed to move the AIIMS administration.

Claiming that several RTIs filed by volunteers of the trust did not get "satisfactory replies". One of them, Rajiv Rathore, has decided to move court.

"I am going to file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking the court's intervention on why the hospital is blocking such a noble facility, depriving patients of a huge relief," Rathore told MiD DAY.

Vishnu Sureka, Trustee, Sureka Public Charity Trust,u00a0 said, "The trust submitted in their proposal that they would pay rentals, water charges, and electricity charges for the earmarked premises, besides inviting AIIMS for management participation as well as all inspections, audits and supervision."

"It is unjustified that the much-needed help to millions of prospective and present poor patients at AIIMS is
being withheld by the office of the Deputy Director of AIIMS, particularly when the trust has formally offered in front of the special committee in 2008 to adhere to all terms and conditions laid down by the AIIMS authorities as well as bear the entire financial burden in terms of initial investments as well as operations," he added.

Rs 7 to 10 cr per month
Money AIIMS patients could have saved by availing 50 per cent discount on medicines

The Other Side
'We follow due procedure in approaching such issues. The proposal by Sureka Trust has not been approved, so far. They are free to move court if there is any substance in their allegation. Our public information officer can explain about the RTI applications filed in the case, however, I am sure he must have responded properly to all the queries.'
Dr DK Sharma, Medical Superintendent, AIIMS