Corporation asks religious bodies for drugs

NEW DELHI: The financially crippled North Delhi Municipal Corporation has approached various religious and social organisations to arrange medicines for its hospitals and polyclinics.
Standing committee chairman Jai Prakash said, “We have asked for the list of medicines required by the hospitals and some religious organisations as well as NGOs have agreed in principle to donate.”
The corporation has contacted several organisations, including 10 religious ones and 12 NGOs.“Dengue and chikungunya treatment require supportive medicines while we also need some vaccines. The list of medicines for three major hospitals and 17 polyclinics will be finalised by Monday,” Prakash said.
Jan Manas Sewa Sansthan and Aastha Kendra are among the organisations which have agreed to help and a meeting is also being held with the Nirankaris, the chairman added.
“Delhi is about to face a big crisis but Delhi government is not cooperating with us,” he alleged. Delhi government is not releasing health fund grants, affecting the functioning of hospitals and polyclinics. “The monsoon is already here and we are afraid that dengue and chikungunya may spread. Delhi government will be responsible in case someone dies due to lack of medicines,” he said.
TOI has earlier highlighted how doctors in the corporation-run Hindu Rao hospital don’t have basic things like soaps, gloves and essential medicines such as steroids. On Friday, north corporation mayor Avtar Singh requested LG Anil Baijal to direct Delhi government to release funds pending since the time of the erstwhile unified MCD.
South Delhi Municipal Corporation mayor Sunita Kangara had announced that its councillors would sit on a dharna outside the chief minister’s residence after a week. The anti-malaria mechanism is woefully short of funds, she said, adding that domestic breeding checkers haven’t been paid for the past three months while the stocks of fumigants and medicines are running low.