Imphal, March 07 2009: While reiterating assurances of opening pharmacies inside the RIMS Hospital for convenience of the patient/patient parties, Medical Superintendent (RIMS) Dr Y Mohen has asked pharmaceutical outlets at the fringe of the hospital campus to cease operation.

Citing serious complications caused to the patients as well as RIMS authorities, Dr Mohen has set March 10 as deadline for pharmacies located beyond the southern boundary of the hospital to stop/give up 'rope and bucket' mode of business transaction as appropriate steps to curb such activities would be initiated the very next day.

Briefing newspersons today, the MS elucidated that apart from the pharmacy owners running their business by dropping buckets/containers tied to ropes to sell medicines individuals are entrusted by these pharmacies to personally contact patients/patient parties for sale of medicines inside the hospital wards.

Contending that such unethical practices not only arouse complaints from the patients and impair efficient functioning of doctors, he said frequent instances of duping patient parties under the pretext of providing medicines by individuals posing as representative of the pharmacies had been embarrassing RIMS authorities.

Moreover such unauthorised persons sell substandard medicines and resort to doctoring prescriptions of experts for submission at the time of processing for medical reimbursement, the MS insisted.

While conceding that patients are likely to endure certain inconveniences during the interim period when trade activities of these pharmacies are prohibited, he however assured of putting into practice plan of the RIMS authorities for setting up medical sale units/shops within the hospital premises at the earliest.

Further disclosing that plans are afoot for authorised pharmacies of RIMS Hospital to provide standard medicines at reasonable price, Dr Mohen also conveyed that five firms have submitted proposals for running pharmacies within the hospital premises when open tender was floated under the conditions that medicines should be of standard quality and sold at the rate below maximum retail price (MRP).

of the five pharmacies planned three would be set-up close to the Gynae ward and two at the side of Casualty Ward, he said while adding that these pharmacies have been directed to deposit Rs 5 lakh for expeditious commencement.

Regarding plans to benefit certain group of patients through these pharmacies, Dr Mohen detailed that for purchase of medicines general category could enjoy subsidy of 10 percent of the prescribed rate, those belonging to the BPL class 15 percent whereas cancer patients would be entitled to 20 percent subsidy.

subsidy would also be extended in the purchase of non-medicinal items with those in the general strata of the society set to reap benefit of 10 percent, while there would be 12 percent subsidy for BPL class and cancer patients, according to the Medical Superintendent who hastened to add that an MoU would be signed between the pharmacy owners/units and RIMS for proper compliance to the proposed norms.

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