Patient demands drug of her choice

Says hospital staff not providing complete range of medicines

ISLAMABAD: A female patient of diabetes had a row with the officials of the Federal Government Services Hospital (Polyclinic) over not providing diabetes medicine which the hospital denies, saying she was demanding a medicine of a specific company which the hospital cannot provide.



Abida, a woman who claimed to be a diabetic and a cancer patient, raised hue and cry in the hospital on Monday, claiming that the hospital staff were allegedly involved in ‘selling’ free medicines and only providing it to those who have some influence while poor patients were being deprived of their right. She claimed to have been visiting the hospital for three days but was not being provided with diabetes medicine.

She alleged that Deputy Executive Director Amanullah Khan misbehaved with her when she sought to lodge a complaint. Amanullah, she claimed, allegedly told her that many cancer patients visit the hospital everyday.

She said all the patients who had queued up for medicines said there were being provided with two or three doses while the rest were asked to purchase their doses from the market.

She criticised the officials for not being empathetic towards patients, saying they just come in the morning to sit in air conditioned offices, have tea and go back while poor patients keep roaming, demanding treatment and the medicines.



A spokesperson for the hospital denied any shortage of medicines, adding that the woman in question had been demanding medicines of a specific company which the hospital does not stock. Dr Sharif Astori said they purchase medicines of a specific company for which the approval is given by the hospital’s selection board. Hospitals cannot keep medicines of companies as per the wishes of the patients, he said.

Contrary to woman’s claims he said the patients demand medicines of specific companies to sale in the market. He said the woman used abusive language and created commotion in the hospital and the police had to be called in.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 26^th, 2018.