Patients prescribed outside medicines, Pune’s Sassoon Hospital launches probe

Those visiting the Sassoon General Hospital and BJ Medical College (BJMC) are being asked to get medicines from outside pharmacies, allege patients.
As per the government rules all government-run hospitals have a ‘zero prescription’ rule. Patients visiting the facility are provided free treatment, medicines and screening facilities at nominal charges.
Sandip Pandey, kin of a patient, said, “My uncle was admitted at the Sassoon after he met an accident. He suffered a fracture in his hand and was admitted to the orthopaedic ward of the new building. More than two medicines prescribed by the doctor were not available at the hospital. I went to the pharmacy on the hospital campus and got the medicines. It cost me over ₹3,000 for the medicines.”
After complaints, the administration has appointed a three-member committee to investigate the allegations and take corrective action.
The committee includes Dr Ajay Tawre, medical superintendent of Sassoon; Dr Sangeeta Dabhade of pharmacology department; BJMC and Dr Sanjay Munde, medicine department of BJMC.
The committee will complete the probe and submit the report to Dr Vinayak Kale, dean of BJMC and Sassoon.
Dr Tawre, said, the hospital has enough stock of medicines including essential drugs and other consumables.
“We are investigating the reason why the drugs are being prescribed despite all the medicines being available. It is purposefully done to spoil the image of SGH or with a vested interest that needs to be found,” he said.
He, added, “We have decided to take stern action against the respective doctors found prescribing drugs. The report will be soon submitted to the dean of BJMC based on which further action will be taken.”
In April last year, the former dean of BJMC, Dr Sanjiv Thakur started the effective implementation of ‘zero prescription’ here.
Medicines worth crores of rupees were purchased to make sure the hospital had enough stock of medicines to avoid inconvenience to patients.