Daily Times

LAHORE: Poor patients of cardiovascular diseases coming to the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) from all over the province are facing difficulties to get timely treatment and free medicines as numbers of purchased drugs are not being provided to them.

Due to delay in drug analysis report to be issued by the Lahore Drug Testing Laboratory (DTL), the hospital administration is yet to start distribution of 20 medicines to poor patients. Hundreds of patients coming from far-flung areas hoping to get free medicines return home empty hands, thus compelling them to buy expensive medicines from market.

Hospital sources told Daily Times that the PIC was the only institute in the provincial capital that used to give free medicines to around 1,800 patients daily at the Out-patient Department (OPD).

They, however, said that the hospital was now reluctant to continue providing free medicines to poor patients mainly because of unavailability of the drug analysis report. They said the hospital administration had requested the Lahore DTL director to issue the report at the earliest. “PIC assistant medical superintendent (AMS) and chief pharmacist have also visited the DTL office, seeking early issuance of the report,” they added.

The PIC medical superintendent (MS) had also written a letter to the Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department secretary, stating that free medicines were being provided to indoor, emergency and OPD patients in pursuance of the government policy.

According to the letter, samples of 20 purchased medicines were sent to the Lahore DTL for an analysis. “However, the drug testing lab is yet to issue the analysis report of the samples without which it is impossible to deliver free medicines to the poor patients,” the letter said.

The PIC MS has requested the Specialised Healthcare Department secretary to direct the DTL director to furnish the drug analysis reports at the earliest in the best interest of the patients.

The samples of 20 medicines sent for analysis report include 6,000 Falcon Disposable Infusion sets, 750 Tab Cardnit, 2000 Inj Telzon, 1505 Inj Noradrin, 3000 inf haemaceel 500ml, 9,000 Tab Simva, 12,000 Tab Carpro, 300 Pyodine solution, 1,350 Inj Dopamine 200 mg/5ml, 850,120 Tab Lisinopril, 300,000 Tab Metoprolol, 2,500 Inj Meronem, 450,000 Tab Carpo, 4,250,000 Tab Descol, 225,000 Tab Tansin, 300,000 Tab Manocard, 1,140,330 Tab Lowplate, 5,000 Inj Atracurium Besylate 50mg/5ml.