Bhagalpur, Sept. 8: Over a dozen diabetic patients returned disappointed a week back after they failed to get free insulin shots at the special outdoor ward of Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital (JLNMCH) here.

JLMCH provides free medical check-up and medicines to the poor and aged every Thursday, but the hospital is short on supply and turned many away this week.

An embarrassed hospital superintendent, R.C. Mandal, blamed the department concerned in the state government. “Earlier last week, we had purchased insulin from the local stockist with local hospital funds, but due to non-availability of insulin with the stockist, we failed to provided it to the poor patients this time,” he said.

Patients from a 200-km radius, including places like Kosi, Seemanchal, eastern Bihar districts and even from parts of Godda and Sahebganj districts in Jharkhand regularly visit JLNMCH, a government-run hospital here. But the hospital is facing an acute drug crisis after Bihar medical services and infrastructure corporation Ltd (BMSICL) — a wing of the state’s health department supplying medicines to all medical college hospitals, district hospitals, sub-divisional and block level health centres in the state — stopped supply in the past three months.

The hospital management has started completing formalities to purchase drugs individually to counter the shortage. “I hope the tender process of purchasing 100 types of different medicines would be completed by September 2,” Mandal said.

The hospital has 80-82 types of medicines in its stock but is falling short on 80-85 other types of medicines, he said. He confirmed BMSICL has not supplied them any medicine in the past three months.

Sanjay Kumar, in-charge medical officer at the hospital, said the shortage of drugs because of supply problem.