A slur on the private health sector

The detection of a stock of outdated drugs at a private Hospital in Wellawatte is bound to ring alarm bells among the general public who are wont to patronize private hospitals for their seemingly better service and medical personnel.

According to our front page story yesterday, the Drug Controls Authority had raided the hospital and found Rs. 75,000 worth of expired drugs that were being dispensed by the hospital. The raid followed a complaint made by a father after he received a bottle of syrup for his son from the hospital. The bottle of syrup had the tag indicating it's expiry date covered over by the Hospital seal.

The hospital's pharmacist had confessed to the authorities that this indeed was the case. The syrup was prescribed by a doctor of the same hospital for wheezing. It was revealed that the syrup had expired two months ago and the label giving out the expiry date had been obliterated by the hospital seal to hide the fact.

The outdated drugs were discovered following a full search of the hospital's medicinal stocks. Legal action is to be taken against the Hospital.

What is alarming is that this happened to be a chance detection. Had it not been for the sharp eye of the father concerned the Hospital would have continued to dispense the outdated syrup and the drugs to an unsuspecting public.

This brings up the question as to how such a hospital was allowed to keep defective drugs. Aren't there regular checks done by the Drug Control Authority or other such body at Private hospitals to assess the quality of the medicines. Do they have to wait until a complaint is made following a chance detection as was the case in this instance. If that is the case, we hasten to say that the term 'Drug Control Authority' is a misnomer.

What of the patients who may have already been given these drugs? Who will be held responsible for any mal-effects that may occur after taking the outdated prescriptions? Will the hospital concerned take responsibility for them?

The affair brings to light the sordid state of affairs in private hospitals which are now mushrooming at a rapid pace like International schools. Alas the public are prone to look upon these private hospitals with favour chiefly due to the lack of proper attention at State hospitals.

But now it appears these patients have fallen from the frying pan to the fire. The episode no doubt is going to tarnish the image of private hospitals and even reduce their patronage. From now, the patients will think twice before seeking out private hospitals. The fallout is also bound to have it's effect on the general health service as a whole with the people thrown into a quandary as to who they should patronize - the State or private hospitals.

But are the State hospitals adequately equipped to cater to the possible increase in the number of patients resulting from this episode and others like it signalling a serious blow to the reputation of private hospitals? On television we often see the condition of some of the rural hospitals which are in a deplorable state. Some even do not have a basic requirements such as surgical tools. There is often reports of the poor state of operating theatres and of malfunctioning equipment. All these certainly would not inspire confidence in patients in the service of the State run hospitals.

While the Colombo National Hospital can be ranked with the best in Asia with it's ultra modern state of the art facilities, most of the rural hospitals are in a sate of neglect. The Government should now give priority to have all hospitals in the country upgraded with all the necessary facilities provided. In this regard it has a special task in hand to rebuild and equip all the Hospitals in the North which had suffered the most during the 30 year old war. Ideally they should all be ready and functioning by the time IDPs return to their homes in another six months. All necessary drugs and medicines should be dispatched in time to treat these bruised and battered folk and the hospitals should be made ready for the thousands with various ailments and afflictions resulting from their three decades long ordeal.

Already we are informed of a large number of specialist doctors from the South volunteering to serve in the North and this is step in the right direction. Apart from building bridges it would also give the Northern population the opportunity to experience first hand the healing touch of the South.