Out of stock, Punjab dispensaries told to collect drugs

Chandigarh, November 8

A day after The Tribune highlighted how rural dispensaries in Punjab have not been supplied even a single medicine for the past 20 months, the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat has swung into action and issued a letter asking all dispensaries in the state to collect the drugs from government warehouses.

As the state faces the worst-ever dengue outbreak this year, the rural dispensaries do not even have paracetamol tablets for patients. The last time, the medicine was supplied was in March 2020, when the first wave of Covid-19 had started.

Taking cognisance of the report, the department has issued a circular to officials to collect the medicine immediately from the three government drug warehouses in Bathinda, Kharar and Amritsar for respective districts.

Each dispensary will be supplied with two months’ supply of 33 medicines and consumables.

The government had drawn flak from the Opposition parties over the issue. Former Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal had tweeted: “Due to government’s carelessness and Punjabis are suffering. It’s shocking rural dispensaries don’t even have a paracetamol tablet when the state witnessed over 18,000 dengue cases and 60 deaths.” — TNS

Dengue cases near 20k

The dengue cases have inched close to the 20,000 mark in the state, which has seen 67 deaths so far. Mohali is the worst-hit district with over 3,300 cases and 33 deaths. It is followed by Bathinda (2,362 cases), Amritsar (1,633), Hoshiarpur (1,614) and Pathankot (1590).