Mohali, July 28 -- Civil surgeon Dr Sangeeta Jain conducted a surprise inspection at the civil hospital in Dera Bassi and took serious note of irregularities in the distribution of free medicines. Dr Jain asked the senior medical officer (SMO) to explain why free medicines are not being provided and why prescriptions are pushing patients toward private pharmacies. The inspection revealed that patients were neither being prescribed generic medicines nor informed about their entitlement to free drugs. Dr Jain also visited nearby chemist shops and found that many patients were forced to purchase medicines from private chemists, unaware that the government provides essential drugs at no cost. "During the inspection, I interacted with several patients who were buying medicines from chemist shops. On checking their prescriptions, it was clear that doctors were not prescribing generic medicines," she said. Dr Jain said that any doctor directing a patient to buy medicine from outside is committing a violation.htc...