HC tells AIIMS to ensure dispensation of medicines without delay

New Delhi, May 10: The Delhi High Court has asked the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to ensure that dispensation of medicines from its pharmacy, which was functioning in limited capacity due to the coronavirus lockdown, resumes without any delay.

A bench of justices Vipin Sanghi and Rajnish Bhatnagar asked AIIMS to work out the modalities and file a compliance report before May 14, the next date of hearing.

The order came on a PIL claiming that outstation non-coronavirus patients who had come for treatment at AIIMS are not being provided medication from the hospital's pharmacy anymore due to the lockdown.

The petitioner, Rachna Malik, further claimed that patients were unable to procure medicine as there was no endorsement on their OPD cards permitting dispensation of medicines as the OPD of AIIMS was closed due to COVID-19 lockdown.

AIIMS told the court that its pharmacy has been made fully functional since May 6 and it operates from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm.

It also told the court that it would devise a methodology to enable patients to obtain medicines from the pharmacy, in all such cases, where the medication prescribed requires continuous administration.

"Let the modalities be worked out by the AIIMS within one day so that dispensation of medicines from the pharmacy can resume without any further delay," the bench said and listed the matter on May 14.

The petition has claimed that on account of the COVID-19 pandemic, outstation non-coronavirus patients are not being provided medication that they were earlier receiving from the AIIMS pharmacy.