‘BMC hospitals lack drug for infants’

A 32-year-old businessman, Ajay Kumar, has filed a complaint with National Consumer Forum against BMC hospitals for not maintaining an adequate amount of medicines for infants, which often leads to harassment of poor patients.

In February, his wife delivered their first child at the Cooper Hospital. But the health of the child started deteriorating and after diagnosis, medical reports showed that he was suffering from jaundice. The child was kept under observation and was prescribed a long list of medicines.

Kumar, was already tense about his child’s condition, was made to run from pillar to post to arrange for the prescribed medicines. “Despite having a maternity ward and facilities for deliveries, these BMC-run hospitals suffer from acute shortage of medicine for infants. This leads to harassment of patients and family members especially those in need,” said Mr Kumar.

Furthermore, the ignorant behaviour of the medical staffers and doctors at the hospital was hurtful to him. “When I went to file a complaint, a medical offer shooed me away, saying that there was no grievance redressal cell in the hospital. Rather than helping patients’ families, they mistreat with them if anyone goes with the complaint,” he added.

He filed the complaint with the National Consumer Forum on April 15. “I wanted to highlight the plight of the people at these BMC-run hospitals. Children are the future of a country, but there is no medicine for infants in these hospitals,” he added.

This is not the first time that such an issue has been highlighted. The similar issue was also been discussed at the Public Health Committee of the BMC.

One of the members of the committee said, “We are aware of the crisis that almost all BMC hospitals are facing. We would write letter to the commissioner requesting to take adequate steps into it.”