Respiratory drugs at top Delhi govt hospital out of stock as AQI peaks

POOR FORCED TO BUY MEDICINES FROM PRIVATE CHEMISTS

- ANKITA UPADHYAY

IN THE MIDDLE of North India's air pollution season, with outpatient numbers having risen an estimated 20% above the baseline across hospitals in the national capital, the largest hospital run by the Delhi government is running short of drugs to treat respiratory illnesses, say patients.

At Lok Nayak Hospital, where complaints of breathing problems triggered by air pollution spike every winter, essential drugs including nebuliser solutions, cough syrups, multivitamins, and several inhalers are not available, forcing patients to buy them from private pharmacies.

Pharmacy staff had crossed out several medicines or marked them as “not available” in prescriptions to OPD patients at Lok Nayak over two days this week.

Patients said they had been advised to purchase these drugs from the market.