A significant shortage of medicines, including life-saving drugs, at Wellness Centres in Nalgonda and Khammam districts is causing financial strain on employees, pensioners, and their families. Due to the lack of availability at government facilities, many are forced to purchase prescribed medications from private pharmacies.

The pharmacy shelves at the Nalgonda Wellness Centre, situated within the Government General Hospital, are almost empty, with severely depleted stocks. Most of the medications recommended by doctors are currently not in stock at the centre's pharmacy.

More than 30,000 employees, retirees, journalists, and their dependents are enrolled at the Nalgonda Wellness Centre. On a daily basis, an average of 100 to 150 patients seek outpatient services. A significant portion of retired individuals suffer from age-related ailments like diabetes and hypertension, with over 200 patients relying on the centre for their diabetic and BP medications.

The scarcity of crucial insulins such as Novorapid and Lantus has significantly affected Type-II diabetic patients, who are now spending between ₹800 and ₹900 per insulin pen. Depending on their condition, some individuals are shelling out ₹3,000 to ₹5,000 monthly to manage their illness.

The situation is equally concerning at the Khammam Wellness Centre, where out of 400 listed medicines, only about 170 are presently in stock. Even fundamental diabetic and BP medications are unavailable. On average, 150 to 200 patients receive outpatient services at the Khammam centre daily.

Md Jilani, a retired employee, mentioned that insulin has been unavailable at the Nalgonda centre for the past two months. "I have no choice but to purchase insulin from private pharmacies, spending ₹3,500 out of my ₹20,000 monthly pension," he expressed.

A doctor from the Nalgonda Wellness Centre, speaking anonymously, stated, "We prescribe medications based on the patient's condition, but even substitute drugs are not accessible in the pharmacy."

Upon reaching out to officials overseeing the Wellness Centres, it was revealed that they submit medicine requisitions to higher authorities on a weekly basis. However, the supply received is consistently insufficient and fails to meet the demand.