Don't prescribe outside medicines: Sriramulu to docs

HUBLI: Health minister B Sriramulu has cautioned doctors against prescribing medicines from outside to poor patients in government hospitals, saying they will be suspended. He was speaking after inaugurating the mega free health check-up camp organized under the Vajpayee Aarogyashree scheme at Lamington School premises, here on Wednesday.
He said doctors should not force their patients to buy medicines from outside but prescribe medicines available in the hospitals.If any patient complained against doctors in this regard, the erring doctors will be kept under suspension, he said.
He expressed concerns over the fact that information about free health check-up facilities available for the poor under this scheme has not reached the needy, though it was started long ago. Doctors and others involved in the scheme should make this programme more popular, to facilitate the poor, he said.
He said under this scheme, BPL families can get treatment for about 400 diseases including cancer, heart ailments, kidney problems, burns, etc., in good hi-tech hospitals. During the free check-up camp, doctors will refer the patients to hospitals for further treatment, he said.
E V Ramanreddy, secretary, health and family welfare services, Bangalore, said more than 2,500 people are undergoing the check-up while doctors from 36 hospitals are working in the camp to provide treatment to the poor people. The government has sanctioned Rs 1.50 to Rs 2 lakh for each BPL family under the Vajapayee Aarogyashree scheme, he added.