Tarun Karthick
Port Blair, 24 April 2024
The Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPI (M), has voiced apprehensions regarding the shortage of medicines at the Ayush Hospital in Port Blair. Expressing dismay over the situation, D. Ayyappan, Secretary of the CPI (M) Andaman and Nicobar State Organising Committee, penned a letter addressed to the Director of Health Services, A & N Islands, highlighting the critical issue.
According to Ayyappan, there is a severe scarcity of medicines at the Ayush Hospital in Port Blair, rendering most of the prescribed drugs unavailable for patients. He emphasised that this dire situation compels patients to resort to purchasing Ayush medicines from private medical outlets.
Adding to the concern, Ayyappan pointed out that individuals belonging to the economically disadvantaged sections of society face significant challenges in affording medicines from private pharmacies.
In his letter, Ayyappan urgently appealed to the Director of Health Services to take immediate measures to ensure the availability of all prescribed medicines at Ayush hospitals. Additionally, he demanded a thorough inquiry into the issue of medicine shortages at the Ayush Hospital in Port Blair, advocating for appropriate actions to prevent the recurrence of such distressing circumstances in the future.
The CPI (M)’s intervention underscores the pressing need for adequate medical provisions to serve the healthcare needs of the community, particularly the vulnerable segments, and highlights the necessity for effective governance in healthcare administration.