Medicine shortage hits ESIS Hospital; Patients suffer!!
The Employees State Insurance Scheme (ESIS) is a State Insurance Scheme that was initiated in 1948 by the state government of to provide medical care to insured persons and their families. The Scheme is financed by contributions from employers and employees but, alas, despite employees paying every month towards the Scheme, the ESIS hospital in Mulund has exhausted its basic stock of necessary medicines, thus leaving the patients in a lurch!
Aggravated patients complain that for the past 6 months the Mulund ESIS Hospital does not have important life-saving drugs. As a result, poor patients are forced to purchase these medicines from private chemists instead of getting free! An annoyed patient told Home Times, “The hospital gets a hundred percent grant from the state government. Besides, the hospital gets regular revenue from the salaries of the state government employees. Despite such huge funds the hospital lacks vital medicines! It is, indeed, deplorable!!” He informed, “With monsoon diseases like viral fever, dengue, malaria, etc., soaring, there is a steady flow of patients. Amidst such a situation when the hospital should be equipped with medicines to tackle the patients, the ESIS Hospital in Mulund has a severe shortage of vital medicines. It depicts the apathy of the government towards its citizens!!”
It is a known fact that the patients visiting ESIS hospital are from the general category who earn a pittance. Most patients are poor. They are in no position to afford private clinics. Hence, these patients visit ESIS Hospital for affordable treatment but are left disappointed and irritated with either medicine not available or doctors absent!
Dinanath Sawant, an ESIS employee, told Home Times, “We pay a part of our salary to get free medication, but what is the use if we do not get free medicines?” Lambasting the state government Employees State Insurance Scheme, he said, “It is not the first time, but time and again there is a shortage of medicines. The doctors ask us to purchase from private chemists. The medicines available at private chemists are double the rate available at ESIS hospital. If we have to pay double the money for medicines and conduct medical tests at private clinics, then what is the use of paying money in the ESIS Scheme?” He added, “We have made several complaints to the concerned authorities but, alas, despite repeated complaints, the state government pays no heed to our woes.”
Dr. Laxman Shinde, Medical Superintendent, ESIS Hospital, told Home Times,” There have irregular supplies of medicines from Haffkine Institute at Parel, yet we are doing our best to procure medicines. We have advised our patients to buy medicines from outside”.
