Patiala, July 25 -- The Punjab health department, during a meeting on Thursday, told the senior medical officers (SMOs) that they would be held responsible if patients complained about prescribing medicines that are not available at the hospitals. This comes days after the Punjab health minister, during an inspection, found that doctors at Rupnagar civil hospital were prescribing medicines that are not available at the hospital. One of the directors, according to a source privy to the development, told SMOs that it was their duty to make all the medicines available at the hospital pharmacy. "The SMOs have been directed to ensure that the doctors of their hospitals, especially medical specialists, prescribe the medicines that were available in the hospital's pharmacy. If a doctor prescribes medicines which are not available at the hospital pharmacy, then SMO has to purchase the medicine prescribed by the doctor, and provide it to the patient without a delay," said an official present at the meeting, pleading anonymity. HTC...