Panipat hospital short of hepatitis-C medicines

Tribune News Service

Panipat, March 14

Patients suffering from hepatitis C are a harassed lot as the district hospital is facing a shortage of medicines that are provided free of cost.

At least 2,500 patients suffering from the disease are registered in the district while 300 chronic patients are under treatment. The treatment at all district-level general hospitals is covered under the Mukhyamantri Muft Ilaj Yojana and medicine is provided by the state government.

Earlier, the scheme was meant only for the SC and BPL families. However, in 2016, the benefit was extended to all registered residents of the state.

The Health Department provides ‘sofosbuvir’, ‘daclatasvir’ and ‘lediprasvir’free of cost to patients in all district hospitals. However, the availability of the medicines has put them in a fix.

Sources said the lot of one of the medicines, ‘sofosobuvir’expired.

State nodal officer for the project Dr Deepali said they had placed a fresh order for the medicines as per the demand.

“Only ‘sofosbuvir’ has expired. All CMOs have been directed to purchase the medicine local. The medicine supply from the Centre Government will be received soon,” said Dr Deepali.