Essential Drug's Bogura plant fails to ensure adequate supply to govt hospitals

Asaf-Ud-Daula Neon, a resident of Bogura town, recently sought treatment for cervical spondylitis at Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital. The doctor prescribed several medications, assuring him they were available at the hospital.

However, Asaf-Ud-Daula's hopes were dashed – the hospital pharmacy had been out of stock for two months.

According to Asaf-Ud-Daula, his experience is not unique. Most of the patients at Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital face similar struggles, forced to purchase essential medicines from outside pharmacies due to chronic shortages within the hospital.

Abdul Wadud, deputy director of Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital, however, denies any drug supply shortages, attributing delays to the government-run Essential Drug Company Limited (EDCL).

He claims Essential Drug often meets one month's demand order in subsequent months, leading to patients' frustrations and unmet needs.

Essential Drug Company Limited, the only government-run drug manufacturing company, produces 137 types of medicines, supplying approximately 72% of the demand to government hospitals nationwide.

Free medicines distributed at government healthcare facilities are predominantly sourced from Essential Drug. The company annually contributes around Tk700 crore worth of medicines, with Tk500 crore produced in its own factory and the remaining 30% procured from private companies.

Government healthcare facilities across various districts and upazilas in Rajshahi, Rangpur, and Khulna divisions rely on Essential Drug's Bogura plant for their drug supplies. They are obligated to purchase 75% of the allocated drugs from Essential Drug, entering into contracts with the company.

Several doctors confirmed that despite being operational for 60 years, Essential Drug in Bogura has never achieved a 100% supply of required medicines to hospitals. Hospitals are even restricted from procuring medicines externally without Essential Drug's permission, creating additional hurdles.

The situation extends beyond Bogura, as seen in the case of Rafsan Mahbub, a 4-year-old admitted to Naogaon General Hospital with diarrhoea and vomiting. Despite doctors prescribing necessary medicines, Rafsan's mother, Ripa Sultana, faced unavailability at the hospital, forcing her to purchase medicines externally.

Naogaon General Hospital Supervisor Dr Zahid Nazrul Chowdhury revealed that in the 2022-23 fiscal year, the hospital requested Tk5.176 crore worth of medicine from Essential Drug but received only Tk56.2 lakh. This shortfall has been a recurring issue, leading hospitals to distribute medicines among patients after careful calculations.

An Essential Drug official said that in recent years, the organisation has struggled to meet the full demand for medicines, often providing only a portion of the required items, especially facing acute shortages in critical areas such as saline, injectable, and gas medicines. This crisis is widespread across the country, leading to the rationing of medicines among patients.

Another official noted that hospitals in rural upazilas receive fewer medicines than district headquarters, worsening the shortage of medicines for patients in these regions, particularly during extreme weather conditions.

Dr Shahrima Parvin, health and family planning officer of Gabtali Upazila Health Complex, highlighted the annual challenge of meeting 100% medicine demand from Essential Drug, a recurring issue faced by many institutions.

Sariakandi upazila, located along the Jamuna River, heavily relies on government hospitals.

However, residents, such as Atiyar Rahman from Sujaler Char in Chaluabari union, express dissatisfaction, stating that they visit the hospital only for medical consultations, as free medicines are often unavailable. Consequently, they resort to purchasing medicines from external stores.

Dibakar Basak, health and family planning officer of Dhunat Upazila Health Complex, said that they faced challenges in the proper supply of saline. Despite their efforts, they could not procure it externally.

Robiul Islam a resident of Shibganj upazila, reported a discrepancy between media reports of increased medicine supply and the reality observed in hospitals, where essential medicines are often insufficient.

An official from Shibganj Upazila Health Complex highlighted Essential Drug's supply method, receiving medicines in instalments, leading to an incomplete fulfilment of demand.

Dr Sharmin Kabiraj, health and family planning officer of Sonatala Upazila Health Complex, expressed a relatively crisis-free year but acknowledged the availability of Essential Drug's medicines, emphasising the situation might differ from other institutions.

Meanwhile, Bogura Civil Surgeon Dr Mohammad Shafiul Azam claimed a lack of comprehensive information on Essential Drug's medicine shortage in Bogura, stating that the purchase of medicines is solely under the jurisdiction of upazila hospitals.

However, Bogura Essential Drugs Company Limited's Deputy General Manager and Plant Chief Md Monirul Islam assured the supply of all medicines (excluding food saline) at 100%, citing challenges in saline availability due to the recent dollar crisis affecting raw material imports.

Hospitals requiring additional supplies are granted permission, and purchasing medicines externally without approval is strictly prohibited, he added.