Ludhiana, June 17 -- The civil hospital has been suffering from a shortage of medicine for Hepatitis B and C for a few weeks now, due to which patients can't be put on treatment courses.

A senior hospital official requesting anonymity, said, "The supply of medicine is not very regular and comes in only every 2-3 months. If the treatment, which can last at least three months, is left mid-way, the virus develops resistance to the drug and the disease gets worse and harder to treat," official said. "So, unless we are sure if we can cater to the complete course for a patient, we don't enroll them in the programme," the official added.

Right now, around 100 patients are undergoing treatment at the hospital, and 56 patients are on hold as the...