Odisha: Chief Secy Reviews Medicine Supply Situation for Kidney Patients

Bhubaneswar: Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra reviewed the medicine supply situation to the kidney transplant patients in SCB and other medical colleges and hospitals (MCHs) of the State in a high-level meeting held today in Lokseba Bhawan conference hall wherein Secretary Health and Family Welfare Shalini Pandit outlined the details relating to the quality check, process of procurement, and supply of medicines to the patients by Odisha State Medical Corporation Limited ( OSMCL) through Niramaya counters of Government health facilities.

The issues relating to demand for specific brand medicines raised by a handful number of kidney patients were also discussed in the meeting.

Intersecting deliberations in the meeting showed that all the medicines required during the kidney transplant surgery and post-transplant treatment were being supplied free of cost at Niramaya counters.

The quality of the medicines was thoroughly tested in NABL-accredited laboratories before being procured and supplied to the hospitals. The laboratory reports also proved that those drugs were highly effective. OSMCL followed a robust method of online procurement, transparent quality test, and purchase. The medicines found highly effective and appropriate through rigorous scrutiny were being procured and supplied by OSMCL with no consideration for any specific brand.

Available data showed Kidney transplantation started in SCB medical college and hospital (MCH), Cuttack since March 2012. As of today, 187 successful transplantations were conducted and treated by the experienced doctor teams of SCB MCH. Currently, about 120 post-transplant patients were under medication. Out of them around 75% ( 90 in absolute numbers) were taking the medicines supplied through OSMCL. These patients never reported any side effects, and their health condition also indicated good progress. Only around 30 patients demanded medicines of specific brand from private medicine stores raising a baseless complaint that the medicines supplied by OSMCL had side effects.

The medical experts present in the meeting appraised that the same medicine supplied by OSMCL for kidney patients was also being used by around 400 patients under critical care in other departments like Nephrology, Rheumatology and Dermatology. The medicines had no side effect on them and were quite effective.

Previously, Secretary Health and family welfare, senior doctors and officers of SCB MCH held several rounds of meetings with the complaining kidney patients and their family members about the quality, safety and effectiveness of the medicine being supplied through OSMCL. In spite of these clarifications and counseling, a handful number of patients kept on agitating without any valid reason. The secret hands of some ill-motivated drug agencies and specific brand private stockists were sensed behind such agitation.

The high level meeting made it clear that it was not possible to purchase medicines of different brands by choice of the individual patients. The senior experts from Pharmaco Vigilance Committee, medico-Professors, clinical specialists and senior officers of health and family welfare department participated in the deliberations.