The Forum for Good Governance (FGG) has asked Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to remove private medical shops from government hospitals. They want medicines to be provided for free in hospital pharmacies, similar to the Central Government Health Scheme. FGG president M Padmanabha Reddy stated that the government’s duty is to improve public health and raise the standard of living, as mentioned in Article 47 of the Indian Constitution.
The Telangana Government has set up hospitals across the state to offer free medical aid. However, patients visiting hospitals like Gandhi or Osmania have to buy prescribed medicines from private shops within the premises. Despite the existence of a government pharmacy in the hospitals, necessary medicines are often unavailable, leading patients to purchase them at higher prices from private shops.
In contrast, the Central Government Health Scheme provides prescribed medicines for free, and if a medicine is not available in the pharmacy, it is ordered and given to patients at no cost. In Telangana’s government hospitals, consultations are free but the cost of medicines is high, with no system in place to monitor pharmacy stock levels. This situation forces poor patients to buy expensive medicines from private shops.
Padmanabha Reddy emphasized the need for government hospitals to provide medicines for free and ensure their availability in hospital pharmacies. By removing private medical shops and improving pharmacy services, patients from all backgrounds can access affordable healthcare in government hospitals.
