Lucknow, Nov 23 (IANS): A shortage of medicines has hit the King George’s Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow.

Patients are reportedly waiting for almost a month to get the prescribed medicines from the medical university, as claimed by the KGMU Teachers’ Association.

In its letter to vice-chancellor Prof Sonia Nityanand, the association has complained of delays in obtaining medicines under the university’s ‘local purchase’ system, under which the hospital buys medicines not available in its pharmacies for patients and staff.

Not just patients, but the delays are also affecting its 570 faculty members, 9,000 other staff and 1,500 students.

The association claimed as it even raised doubts over the quality of medicines supplied under this system. “We collected feedback from teachers and doctors, who pointed out delays in obtaining medicines via local purchase. Even the quality of medicines provided has been doubted,” the letter read.

Every day, up to 400 people, as claimed, are given assurances that they will get medicines under the KGMU’s local purchase system.

“I had submitted a prescription for local purchase of medicine for my father in the first week of November, but the stock of medicines is yet to arrive. I am going back to buy the medicines from a medical store on my own,” said an attendant.

Responding to the claims, Dr Sudhir Singh, KGMU spokesperson, said, “The issue will be considered and a solution, if required, will be provided.”

The association demanded that the system be brought under a time-bound practice. “We request your office to direct the staff at the medical superintendent’s office that monitors local purchase to fix a time for supplying medicine so that patients do not face the brunt of the delay in purchase,” said the letter.

Even patients, who were provided medicines under the PM and CM relief funds, face the same problem, said Prof Santosh Kumar, the general secretary of the association.