Shillong Apr 23: Patients admitted in North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) are advised to buy medicines by availing benefits at discounted rates from AMRIT Pharmacy located in the hospital.

A statement issued by NEIGRIHMS Public Relations Officer, Dr. K. K. Pandita on Tuesday said that cancer drugs of a particular size/brand if not available, the patient can put an order in the pharmacy, and the AMRIT Pharmacy management has assured NEIGRIHMS authorities to make it available in next 48 hours.

Dr Pandita said that all patients admitted in NEIGRIHMS have been advised to avail the benefits of discounts from AMRIT Pharmacy located in the hospital.

The statement also said that in reference to the advisory by the Union Ministry of Health and Family welfare, NEIGRIHMS has established AMRIT Pharmacy on the ground floor near Orthopedics OPD, where patients can get medicines/disposables at discounted rates, besides costly items like Cardiac stents, Pacemakers.

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare dated 20th February 2019 had also issued an advisory for Central government hospital/medical institutions relating to purchase of medicines by poor patients.

The advisory states, “It has been brought to the notice of this Ministry time and again that poor patients, who are suffering from cancer and other dreaded diseases and receiving treatment at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and other Central government hospitals across the country, are allegedly being advised by hospital authorities to purchase medicines/drugs from private drug dealers, authorized by the hospital authorities.”

In order to make the treatment affordable, the Central government has taken various initiatives including opening of AMRIT pharmacy and Jan Aushadi Stores in most of the hospitals/institutions under Central government in Delhi and outside Delhi.

All Central government hospitals/institutions/autonomous bodies are advised to suitably instruct the poor patients to avail the facilities of affordable medicines from Government pharmacies, like Jan Aushadi Pharmacy and AMRIT Store located in the hospital premises so that poor patients are not unnecessarily subjected to harassment by sometimes paying double the cost of the same medicines from private drug dealers from the open market.

The Union Ministry said that towards achieving this objective, wide publicity in the hospitals/institutions premises may be given so that there is adequate awareness among the patients and their relatives.