{
  "id": 15778036,
  "title": "Health Department issues circular on maintaining medicine stocks in hospitals",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/health-department-issues-circular-on-maintaining-medicine-stocks-in-15778036",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-20T17:17:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu - Sci-Tech",
    "slug": "the-hindu-sci-tech",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/health-department-issues-circular-on-maintaining-medicine-stocks-in-hospitals/article71604608.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Health Department has issued a circular to ensure hospitals maintain adequate medicine stocks, particularly for outpatient departments. Health Minister K. Muraleedharan emphasized the importance of uninterrupted treatment for patients in government hospitals. The circular instructs the Director of Health Services and the Director of Medical Education to oversee the availability of medicines and laboratory reagents. Doctors in outpatient departments will receive an updated list of medicine stocks in hospitals, enabling them to accurately prescribe medicines to patients. Health professionals are also directed to write the generic names of medicines on prescriptions. Additionally, a report on reagent stock and future requirements must be submitted biweekly to anticipate shortages and organize supplies accordingly. In cases where laboratory materials are unavailable, they can be purchased using Hospital Development Committee funds.",
  "summary": "The circular directs that an updated list of the medicine stocks in hospitals be provided to doctors in the OP (outpatient) departments. This will help doctors have a clear idea about the medicines available in the hospital and to prescribe the same to patients.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Hindu Health",
        "title": "Health Department issues circular on maintaining medicine stocks in hospitals",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/health-department-issues-circular-on-maintaining-medicine-stocks-in",
        "published": "2026-10-20T17:17:41.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}