Assam targets 100 FRU hospitals by year-end; launches medicine storage helpline
To ensure drug availability, WhatsApp helpline 986454130 is released for medicine shortage complaints.
An FRU hospital at Dhing (AT photo)
Guwahati, August 27: Health Minister Ashok Singhal on Tuesday announced that the State government aims to increase the number of functional First Referral Unit (FRU) hospitals in Assam from the existing 88 to 100 by the end of this year to strengthen health care services in remote and rural areas.
Addressing a press conference at the Lok Sewa Bhawan here, the minister said that nine Caesarean section facilities have already been started in the remotest parts of the State in the past two months with plans to expand further.
Talking about the essential drug availability, Singhal said that the State government has introduced a dedicated WhatsApp number (986454130) through which patients could inform the authorities about the unavailability of medicines prescribed to them and whether they had to buy them from outside government hospitals.
"The WhatsApp number has been launched to tackle complaints regarding medicine shortage. Patients can send their prescriptions to this number, and if any medicine is unavailable, immediate action will be taken," the minister said.
"We have ensured 100 per cent availability of essential drug list across health facilities in the State, including district hospitals, subdistrict hospitals, community health centres, primary health centres, urban primary health centres, urban Arogya mandirs and sub-health centres," he added.
The minister said that 352 types of essential medicines are available in medical colleges, 261 types in district hospitals, subdistrict hospitals, and community health centres, while 125 types of medicines are available in primary health centres and 30 in sub-health centres.
Singhal also said that with the next batch of MBBS doctors set to join service, the existing shortage of medical professionals in the State is expected to ease.
However, the minister acknowledged the continuing shortfall of specialist doctors in the State, but said that the situation has gradually improved over the years.