The Divisional Railway Hospital (DRH) in Bhopal, intended to be a lifeline for the health of railway employees and their families, has turned into a hub of mismanagement. A ground investigation has revealed that those who contribute their hard-earned money to the railway health schemes are being left in the lurch. The hospital is currently grappling with a severe shortage of medicines, ranging from essential life-saving drugs to general medications. While doctors continue to prescribe treatments, patients are met with a standard ‘out of stock’ response as soon as they reach the pharmacy counters. Agony for elderly patients from Itarsi and Mandideep: The hospital’s Outpatient Department (OPD) sees a heavy influx of patients not just from Bhopal, but also from neighbouring towns like Itarsi and Mandideep. Seema Verma (name changed), a resident of Itarsi and a long-time cardiac patient, serves as a poignant example of this systemic failure. “We come here with the hope that the Railways will care for us, but we don’t even get half the prescribed medicines. Even critical heart medications have to be purchased from private pharmacies, which is a massive financial burden,” she shared. A similar plight was echoed by Rajendra, a resident of Mandideep, who regularly visits for his elderly father’s treatment. He alleged that not only is the staff’s behaviour rude, but the pharmacy also dispenses only 15 days of medication despite a month-long prescription from the doctor.

 

Mismanagement : Majority of counters shut,

Patients forced to wait for hours : The reality of the hospital’s pharmacy department was exposed during the ground check. Despite having multiple windows for medicine distribution, most counters remained shut, with only a single counter operational for hundreds of patients. This bottleneck has led to massive overcrowding and long waiting hours, further deteriorating the condition of sick patients. Instead of managing the crowd, staff members frequently advise patients to return after 5 to 10 days, showing complete disregard for those travelling from other cities who cannot afford the time or money for repeated trips. Claims Fall Flat: Staff blames budget cuts, tells patients to buy outside: While the Railways administration makes tall claims about providing superior healthcare, the ground reality tells a story of utter neglect. A shocking revelation came to light during the investigation: when patients questioned the pharmacy staff about the non-availability of medicines, the staff bluntly replied, “The budget is running low, which is why medicines are unavailable. You should go and buy them from outside.” Such irresponsible statements from the hospital staff raise serious questions about the administration’s intent. If funds are being deducted from the salaries of railway employees for health schemes, why are they being pushed toward private exploitation under the pretext of budget shortages? This persistent chaos has put the credibility of the Railways at stake. Administration assures probe: When the matter was brought to the attention of the railway authorities, PRO Naval Agrawal assured that these complaints would be investigated seriously. Speaking on the issue, he stated, “We will initiate an inquiry into this matter and investigate the causes behind the medicine shortage and the mismanagement at the medical counters.”