AMID complaints by OPD patients that Sir JJ Hospital has run out of several medicines, a hospital official said they sent their requirement to the DMER in September 2021 and are still awaiting fresh stock. Another hospital official said the delay in distribution could be due to the Covid-19 third wave which put extra pressure on DMER and Haffkine, which procures all Covid and non-Covid medicines for the entire state.

Every day around 4,000 patients visit the out-patient department at the hospital and hundreds get admitted. Most of these patients come from economically weaker backgrounds, with many not having enough money to buy medicines from outside and depend on hospitals for the same. When mid-day visited the hospital, it found that even common medicines like paracetamol, Azithromycin, Cetirizine, doxycycline, and diclofenac sodium are also not in stock.