Andhra Pradesh: Drugs crunch ails ESI hospitals

Visakhapatnam/Tirupati: The budgetary woes of ESI hospitals have affected the supply of drugs in Visakhapatnam and Tirupati and other parts of the State.

In north Andhra, as many as 14 dispensaries are in operation. Sources say that the delay of payment of bills to some of the hospitals in Visakhapatnam has led to the hospital managements thinking twice before tying up with the ESI Corporation. The hospitals with which a tie-up already exists are hesitating to accept patients for fear of bills remaining pending for long. ESI has to clear pending dues to the tune of Rs 18 crore to GITAM hospital, a source said. There is a steady stream of patients to the ESI dispensary at Balayya Sastry Layout in Visakhapatnam. Many patients were seen waiting in line at the counter, holding a prescription to get medicines.

G Appala Rao, a resident of Akkayyapalem, told The Hans India, "This is the third time I am visiting the dispensary for the medicines. We often return empty-handed."

Sharing his experience, Santosh, who accompanied his pregnant wife from Maddilapalem, said, "Though basic medicines are at times made available at the dispensary, when we want to get treated for serious ailment, we are referred to another hospital."

Shortage of medicines at ESI dispensaries draws resentment among the beneficiaries. The only basic medical supplies have been stocked to meet the requirement to an extent but many are turned down with 'out of stock' response at the premises.

At ESI Hospital in Arilova, K Thaviti Naidu waits to meet the doctor. "I was recently diagnosed with liver cancer and came to the hospital for treatment. But I am yet to get connected with the doctor," he says.

In Tirupati too, the ESI Corporation has to get more than Rs 200 crore from the government. This has affected the procurement of medicines by ESI hospitals as the suppliers were not fulfilling the indents citing the pending bills.

Tirupati ESI hospital has been giving only some basic drugs to out-patients. Rest of the medicines, patients have to buy from outside. There have been no in-patient services ever since the Covid-19 pandemic broke as it was converted into Covid-19 hospital. Only emergency delivery cases are admitted here.

At present, they are getting the drugs from AP State Medical Services Infrastructure Development Corporation (APMSIDC) when the indents are sent to them. There are about 2.6 lakh beneficiaries under ESI Tirupati purview from Chittoor, Nellore and Kadapa districts.