Rawalpindi: The three main teaching hospitals of Rawalpindi — Holy Family Hospital (HFH), Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) and Rawalpindi Teaching Hospital (DHQ Hospital) — are working on a system to provide 146 essential medicines to patients round the clock, as directed by the Punjab government. However, full compliance has not yet been achieved.
The Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education (SHC&ME) Department has approved a Critically Essential Medicines List (CEML) 2025, which makes it mandatory for all public sector teaching and tertiary care hospitals in Punjab to ensure uninterrupted availability of these medicines in emergency wards, OPDs and in-patient departments.
According to the notification issued on July 30, the CEML is based on the already notified Standard Medicines List, the WHO Essential Medicines List, and Pakistan’s Essential Medicines List approved by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP).
The list includes a wide range of medicines such as antibiotics, anti-viral drugs (including Acyclovir), hepatitis B and C medicines (Entecavir, Sofosbuvir and Daclatasvir), anti-malarials, antifungals, immunomodulators, steroids, cardiovascular medicines, insulin, thyroid medicines, anesthetics, medical gases, pain management drugs, blood products, antiseptics, surgical disposables, eye and ear drops, and medicines for reproductive health, respiratory diseases, allergies, and neurological conditions.
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Officials said that once implemented fully, the initiative would ensure free treatment and management for most patients visiting teaching hospitals.
At HFH, Medical Superintendent Dr. Ijaz Butt said that the hospital is already providing most medicines as per CEML. “Compliance in OPDs is around 85 to 90 percent because some medicines are under testing.
Within two weeks, all medicines will be available in every department,” he said. He added that implants and surgical disposables are also being arranged through local purchase for critical patients.
At BBH, Medical Superintendent Dr. Sharjeel Sarfraz said the hospital is fully complying with the government’s directives. “We are providing all essential medicines, injections, implants and surgical disposables free of cost. For medicines not on the CEML, we take support from Bait-ul-Mal and private donors. Our aim is not to refuse any patient,” he said.
The administrations of all three hospitals maintained that medicines are being provided in emergency, OPD and wards, but acknowledged that some complaints are still being recorded.
