Non issuing of prescribed medicines by CGHS dispensaries

Indian Military Veterans

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-116
ANSWERED ON-24.02.2015

Non issuing of prescribed medicines by CGHS dispensaries

116 . SHRIMATI RAJANI PATIL

(a) whether Government has directed the CGHS dispensaries not to issue such medicines especially Nephrozon and Ketosteril prescribed by the Government hospitals to the CGHS beneficiaries particularly to the patients suffering from incurable kidney-related diseases, which they have been taking for the last many years;

(b) if so, whether Government is aware of the fact that the doctors of the Safdarjung Hospital are not prescribing any medicines in place of these discontinued medicines on account of which kidney patients are suffering a lot; and

(c) if so, the action taken by Government in this regard?

ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
(SHRI JAGAT PRAKASH NADDA)

(a): Yes, CGHS has taken a policy decision not to issue medicines like Nephrozon and Ketosteril to patients suffering from Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) based on the opinion of the Expert Committee of Nephrologists.
(b): A committee of Nephrologists considered the issue and opined that ‘Evidence for use of Keto-Analogoues/Amino Acids in CKD is very weak. KDIGO (Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcome) guidelines of 2012 also do not recommend the use of Keto-Analogues/Amino Acids in CKD. So the Committee is

of the opinion that the use of Keto-Analogues/Amino Acids is not indicated in CKD patients’. Accordingly, the doctors of Safdarjung Hospital have stopped prescribing these medicines.
( c): In view of the opinion of the Experts in the field of Kidney diseases, Government has decided not to issue such medicines where their use is not indicated in the control of the disease. Other medicines are issued as per need to Kidney patients.