Huge quantity of life-saving medicines found dumped outside Odisha hospital

In a startling discovery, large quantities of government-issued medicines, including Azithromycin and iron supplements, were found improperly discarded on the premises of Udala Sub-Divisional Hospital (SDH) in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district.

A huge quantity of sealed packets and lotions were found abandoned in large sacks in a remote section of the hospital compound.

This incident has prompted serious questions regarding oversight and accountability within the healthcare facility, as it is highly unusual for sacks of unopened medicines to remain unnoticed. Hospital authorities have yet to determine the party responsible for this apparent negligence.

“I issued the medicines for the concerned department. I’m not bothered who has thrown it. The one who has dumped the life-saving medicines should be answerable, but I’m not. Moreover, in such a huge hospital, not all medicines can be used; some get expired,” Ritanjali Nayak, Store in-charge, Udala SDH, claimed.

When approached, the Sub-Divisional Medical Officer refrained from making any statements regarding the matter.

Similarly, the person overseeing the medicine store claimed ignorance about the origins of these medicines or the reasons for their improper storage. He mentioned a lack of information on which hospital department might have diverted the medicines, or how they ultimately ended up neglected in sacks.

The incident highlights potential lapses in the management of pharmaceutical supplies in government hospitals, raising concerns over how such essential resources intended for patient care could be mishandled.