Times of India
15 September 2010
By Anuradha Mascarenhas

THE regional mental hospital at Yerawada that gets around 120 patients at its out patient department (OPD) every day, has been facing shortage of medicines for the last two months. The state’s largest mental hospital with a strength of more than 2,000 beds has been sending back patients with chronic depression and other ailments due to non–availability of medicines even as it is waiting for some relief from the state government.

Along with the regional mental hospital at Yerawada, the other three –at Thane, Ratnagiri and Nagpur –too have been facing a similar shortage. Dr Manohar Yadav, Medical Superintendent at Pune’s regional mental hospital, Yerawada, said the state has centralised the drug purchase which led to a delay in the supply. Medicines which are free of cost for the inmates and are given at a minimal cost of Rs 20 to patients in OPD have been unavailable at Pune’s hospital for two months now.

Dr Vilas Bhailume, senior psychi atrist at the regional mental hospital, said the hospital had to reserve the stock for in–patients. He said the government has given Rs 4 lakh to temporarily purchase medicines. But the authorities are awaiting supply of new anti–pyschotic medinces and anti depressants that provide better relief. The medicines are costly in the open market, he added. Dr Sanjay Kumawat, Medical Superintendent at Thane’s mental hospital that has a strength of 1800 beds, told The Indian Express that May, June and July faced shortage of drugs.

When contacted, Dr Archana Patil, Joint Director of Mental Health, Maharashtra, told The Indian Express that an order will be sent to all the four hospitals. "The hospitals will receive their supply within two weeks," she promised.