Srinagar, Dec 18: Jammu and Kashmir National Health Mission (NHM) has failed to release its fund commitment for procurement of anti-hemophilia drugs for Haemophilia Day Care Centre at SMHS hospital taking toll on patient care.
Syed Majid, president, Hemophilia Society of Kashmir, said the hospital often faces shortage of anti-haemophilia drugs due to non-seriousness of the concerned stakeholders.
He said NHM has failed to give fund commitment despite representations and the utilization given by GMC Srinagar with the result the day care centre is facing several issues as many important drugs are near completion which can prove fatal for the patients.
“In other States and UTs, the NHM has released the fund commitment but in Kashmir they have not done so for the two consecutive years which is very unfortunate,” he said.
Interestingly, this year the UT Administration has also not given the supplementary hemophilia drugs to the day care centre leaving the critical patients to suffer.
“The centre frequently faces shortages of hemophilia drugs, leaving patients without essential medicines and exposing them to a heightened risk of fatalities,” Majid said.
Currently, the anti-hemophilia drugs are about to exhaust which will put lives of patients at risk of fatalities. Over the years, the hemophilia patients have increased from 300 to 450 but there has been no increase in the drug supply due to lack of policy.
Previously, J&K National Health Mission had made a fund commitment for procurement of anti-hemophilia drugs but they have failed to release that money.
“It is also a reason why patients suffer, had NHM given fund commitment it would have helped patients,” Majid said adding GMC Srinagar is not doing the reconciliation with JKNHM.
Majid appealed to the J & K Chief Minister, Health Minister and Secretary Health and Medical Education Department to look into the matter and release the fund commitment.
Senior officials at GMC Srinagar said they have given demand for 10 percent buffer stock and also supplementary demand in September.
About the delay by NHM, they said they have taken up the matter with NHM but they haven’t released the amount till date.
The officials also said for the financial year 2023-24, NHM had confirmed to give Rs 7.7 crore fund commitment for procurement of hemophilia drugs but NHM hasn’t released that money due to some internal issues.
“We have purchased drugs worth Rs 7.7 crores and we have utilized that. We have also given the utilization certificate to NHM despite that the amount has not been released,” the GMC officials said.
Despite repeated attempts to call Mission Director J&KNHM, his phone continued to be switched off for two days.
