Expired medicines found at BHU Khot, Chitral
By: Gul Hamaad Farooqi
Chitral, March 30: Expired medicines have been recovered from Basic Health Unit (BHU) Khot located in Tehsil Torkho, a medical facility operated under Khyber PakhtunKhwa Health Care, formerly known as PPHI (Peoples Primary Health Initiative) project.
These medicines are being supplied to all health units under the national program for population planning and primary health care which are then issued to Lady Health workers through their respective lady health supervisors (LHS). Elemental Zing (yes 2 Zink) worth rupees 50 and expired early in March 20o3 were found in BHU khot premises along with some register and record of LHWs.
Former Nazim union council Khot Sher Aziz Baig expressed his sorrow and concern over recovering of these medicines. He said that actually medicines are being issued to LHWs and they are bound to distribute these free medicines among the patients and people of their area during door to door visit and health education campaign.
He said that it means that they not performing their duty and not distribute these medicines among the people nor they impart health education among the masses as a result 14 children were died by pneumonia last week.
A Lady Health visitor of Aga Khan Health service center Khot told this scribe regarding criteria of returning of expired medicines. She said that they inform their immediate medical officer 6 months ahead of the expiry date and return it within 4 months.
Unfortunately in government hospital nor their officers were informed neither it was returned in a timely manner. As a result not only government exchequer face heavy loss but deserving patients (children) were also deprived from their right (these medicines.)
A local woman belongs to Khot reveal that Lady Health Workers visit their house seldom and they not came regularly. She said that they distribute only worm killer medicines among the children and nothing else.
In this connection when district health officer Dr. Israrullah contacted at first he tried to fully support health team but later on he admit that although this is wrong that why these free medicines of government store expired but all of our BHUs working under KPH (PPHI) and this is responsibility of their doctors to monitor and assure distribution of these free medicines among masses supplying under NPPH.
He said that he will issue notice to district support manager of KPHI (PPHI) to explain this negligence.
It is worth to mention here that some 14 children were died by pneumonia epidemic last week at Khot valley but Doctor and staff were absent from duty.
Haider Hussain medical technician who was requesting again and again to not raise this issue when he was asked to produce any one LHW where 11 LHWs and 1 LHS working but not one were present on the occasion.
Social and political circle of Chitral urged on high ups of health department for conducting inquiry in this regard that why these medicines were not distributed to poor patients free of cost and why not return before its expiry date.
