Latest News

March 15, 2013

CM visits SSKM hospital; takes stock on the working of the fair price medicine shop

CM visits SSKM hospital; takes stock on the working of the fair price medicine shop
Chief Minister Ms. Mamata Banerjee on Thursday evening went on a surprise check of a fair price shop at the SSKM Hospital and initiated an inquiry into the allegations leveled against a section of doctors, reportedly prescribing medicines by brand names instead of their generic names.
`A section of doctors has been committing the mischief of not prescribing generic names of medicines at fair price shops, defeating the purpose of opening these shops by the State Government,` said the CM after the inspection.
The CM also said that the purpose of opening fair price medicine shop is to help patients by offering medicines at a subscribed rate but `a section of doctors` were not adhering to the
rule of prescribing generic names of medicines. She added that the state health department had received several such complaints, prompting her to do a personal verification.
She also reiterated her Government`s plans to open more fair price medicine shops in the state in coming days.
She said that, besides a section of doctors, some medicine retailers were also misguiding patients and their relatives. `If someone has been prescribed four medicines and two of them are not available in fair price shops, medicine shops outside the hospital campus area are not entertaining them unless they agree to buy all the medicines from them,` she said.
Assuring that there would be a thorough probe, the CM said, `We have received complains that poor people are not getting medicines from the fair price shops. It is a conspiracy by a group of people. We will take strict action against those who are doing this,` the CM said.