The  spokesman said as per past practice the supplies for the whole year have been issued to all health institutions in the rural areas as well as those at block and district levels in May-June this year.

Quoting the principal of the Government Medical College Srinagar [Images], who looks after the associated hospitals in Srinagar, the spokesman said there was no shortage of medicines and drugs in the hospitals under his control.

Likewise, the stockists and distributors of medicines and drugs in Kashmir have assured that there were adequate and sufficient supplies available in all districts of the valley.

The stockists have assured the deputy controller of drugs and food control organization Kashmir that more quantities of medicines and drugs would be airlifted from outside the state to ensure their smooth supply in the valley, the spokesman said.

He said some stockists have already received consignments while others were in the process of receiving these. The Srinagar chemists and distributors association has through newspaper advertisements stated that the Kashmir Valley was not facing any shortage of medicines.

The association told the divisional administration that it will make all out efforts to procure medicines directly from Delhi [Images] or any other state to ensure that there was no shortage of medicines and drugs even in future, he said.