Against a target of dispensing medicines and surgical items to about 6000 patients per day, the pharmacy department at the Medical College Hospital (MCH) at Kozhikode in Kerala is struggling hard to manage the rush every day.

Shortage of pharmacists is making the workload worse and the patients in the OP and IP wards are forced to purchase medicines from outside on high prices, thanks to the apathy of the government.

Government is now following the staff pattern of 1961 in the case of pharmacists, as per which one pharmacist is required for 300 patients. On the basis of the pattern, government created 26 posts of pharmacists 54 years ago, and the same number is continuing even today despite repeated requests for additional posts. At the time of framing the pattern, the number of patients used to come to the hospital per day was below 500, which has now crossed the figure 6000. Even then, no additional post has been created or renewed the staff pattern, said P. Jayachandran, senior pharmacist at the department of pharmacy of the MCH.
 
The staff shortage at the pharmacies also ails the attached institution, Institute of Maternal and Child Health (IMCH).

“The situation of the pharmacy wards at the attached Institute of Maternal and Child Health is not different. Not a 24-hour pharmacy is operating there and the number of pharmacists working at the institute is only 13. The Central Pharmacy (CP), which was working there previously, has been withdrawn now and ward pharmacy system was introduced with day services only,” said the pharmacist.
 
At the casualty ward of the MCH, there is one 24-hour pharmacy working. For the duty changes, it requires more pharmacists. Nine ward pharmacies under different departments and one pharmacy in the OP department are functioning during day time. Pharmacists’ services are also required at the pharmacies of super specialty wards and in the Central Drugs Store. For an average functioning of all the pharmacies both in the MCH and in the IMCH, the department entails the services of minimum 65 pharmacists.

While briefing Pharmabiz, he said there is urgent need to create a 24-hour pharmacy at the super specialty block which includes nephrology, urology, cardiology, neurology, and cardio vascular thoracic surgery. Today the block is getting the services of a ward pharmacy only. It requires space for storage also.

The authorities have sent several proposals to the government for creation of pharmacist posts and  for renovation of pharmacies with high tech facilities in order to reduce the workload and provide 24-hour services in all the wards. But no measures have been taken so far, he alleged.

Patients from five districts in the erstwhile Malabar area depend on the hospital for treating various ailments.