‘Free Medicine Delivery Project’ cuts dosages

Low-income cardiac patients forced to purchase a sizeable portion of their medicines out of their own pockets

LAHORE:

The Punjab government had launched the “Free Medicine Delivery Project”, under which one-to-three-month medication courses prescribed to cardiac patients registered at four major heart hospitals of the province, were delivered free of cost at their doorsteps. However, before the initiative could bring any relief to the low-income patients, the government decided to cut the dosages of the free medications by half.

According to information obtained by the Express Tribune, there are currently four major heart hospitals in Punjab, of which the largest hospital, the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) Lahore, caters to almost 3,000 to 4,200 patients on a daily basis. Similarly, the Punjab Institute of Cardiology Multan receives a daily influx of 2,500 to 4,100 patients while the Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology deals with 1,100 to 1,300 patients each day. Likewise, the Punjab Institute of Cardiology Wazirabad also receives around 1,000 patients daily in the emergency and out-patient departments (OPD).

One such patient was Abdul Rasheed Nagi, a resident of Lahore, who was diagnosed with angina seven years ago and was under treatment at PIC. “Even today, I buy more than 60 per cent of my medicines from the market. The government had promised to deliver free medicines but since the past few months, the medicine dosage has been halved. It is very difficult to buy medicines in this era of inflation but we have to buy them for our health,” said Nagi.

Similarly, Luqman Ansari, a cardiac patient at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology Wazirabad revealed that since the past four months, the dosage of medicines had been halved. “While the hospital sends blood thinners like Disprin and Loprin, the expensive drugs are not sent, and I have to purchase them myself, which costs me Rs2,000 to Rs3,000 per month,” lamented Ansari.

On the other hand, Sheikh Naeem, a patient receiving heart medications from the Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology revealed that his medication parcel had stopped arriving several months ago. "We are told that there is a shortage of medicines at the hospital,” claimed Naeem.

According to Jawad Ahmad Sheikh, a former heart specialist at the PIC, heart patients are given a complete prescription to lower their blood pressure, thin their blood, control their cholesterol, improve blood flow in their arteries and aid their digestion. “Sometimes due to drug shortages, angina patients do not receive their required drugs, which they then have to buy themselves from the market,” confirmed Sheikh.

Medical Superintendent (MS) at the PIC, Dr Shoaib Aslam claimed that more than 1,000 heart patients were parceled one to three-month medicine courses on a daily basis from the hospital. “Complaints of delayed delivery of medicines were raised and are being addressed. Some medicines are short in stock, but those that are available are being sent,” assured Dr Aslam.

“As per the instructions of Chief Minister Punjab, the free home delivery of medicines is being monitored on a daily basis and negligence is not tolerated. Availability of complete treatment including medicines is the basic right of patients. Since May, free medicines have been delivered to the homes of more than 80,000 patients of cancer, heart disease, hepatitis and tuberculosis. Only after the biometric verification of the patient is the medicine sent to their address. The department has received complaints from heart patients regarding the delivery of medicines, which will be addressed shortly,” said Azmat Mehmood, Secretary Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education.