Not(e) fair: Helpless patients forced to beg for medicines

Vinayak Pukale with his wife and their 15dayold daughter were trying to get medicines at a pharmacy in Parel for their newborn who is suffering from fever but were turned away due to lack of change PicSuresh KarkeraRamesh Kshirsagar clutched a Rs 500 note as he begged pharmacists to offer medicines for his mother who is fighting cancer in the Tata Memorial Hospital The pharmacists refused to accept the currency note forcing Ramesh to leverage his gold ring in exchange for lifesaving medicines for his motherAlso Read Abandoned Invalid notes put wedding in Mumbai family in jeopardyPatients and their relatives were crowding the National Chemist located near KEM Hospital PicSuresh KarkeraThe pharmacy National Chemist was ready to take Rameshrsquos gold ring as security until he returns with the money he owed in Rs 100 bills ldquoMy mother needs the money urgently Tata doesnrsquot have the medicines so they asked me to get it from outside I have two Rs 500 notes and the price of the medicine is Rs 1200 But they arenrsquot ready to accept itrdquo Ramesh told middayRamesh Kshirsagar offered the pharmacist his gold ring to get medicines for his canceraffected motherldquoIt is the biggest pharmacy in Parel where hundreds of patients are flocking but they arenrsquot agreeing to give anyrdquo he added Ramesh is only one of the several hundred patients running from pillar to post to secure medicinesOut of Rs 100 billsThe government released a circular Tuesday stating civicrun hospitals would accept the defunct notes for the next 72 hours But most of the hospitals have run out of Rs 100 as they were not informed of the change beforehand Shops inside hospitals were overflowing with people waiting just for changeBegging for changeIn the emergency ward of KEM this reporter spotted Khatunbe who had been begging people since morning to get Rs 450 Her soninlaw has been admitted at Sion Hospital where he was undergoing surgery after an accident The hospital had asked her to get some medicines from KEM as they didnrsquot have it She rushed to get the medicine but she was denied as she had only Rs 500Read Story Prime Ministerji ne sab logon ki waat laga di say MumbaikarsldquoI am begging people to give me medicines First of all Sion and KEM should give medicines free of cost and secondly they arenrsquot even taking Rs 500 My soninlaw needs the medicines urgently as he is undergoing surgery in Sionrdquo said Khatunbe She rushed to National Chemist to get the medicine but they refused to give it to her Helpless she sat on the footpath and cried ldquoThe Prime Minister is trying to curb black money but we poor people are sufferingrdquo she said Seeing this an employee of the pharmacy bought her medicines with his money Following a tussle with patients most of the medical shops near big hospitals like KEM JJ downed its shutterIron handSupriya Tambe faced an odd predicament She was admitted at VN Desai Hospital after she broke her left leg Her relatives submitted Rs 1200 to the hospital for her surgery While the money was submitted on Tuesday before the announcement the hospital asked her to provide the same amount in Rs 100 bills on Wednesday morningldquoThis is impractical We are trying to talk it out but they arenrsquot agreeingrdquo said Sandesh Tambe Supriyarsquos nephew ldquoI will look into the matter Ask the patient to get in touch with merdquo said Dr Ashok Ghongde Superintendent of VN Desai Hospital