The government doctors in Uttar Pradesh have been told to prescribe only generic drugs to patients as per the new guidelines issued by the medical health department.

Issued by the department's principal secretary Partha Sarthi Sen Sharma on Saturday, the circular lists a set of instructions that all chief medical superintendents and government hospital directors must adhere to.

"The working status of each equipment in hospitals must be updated on the CARE app every Monday. If equipment is non-functional for long, the hospital shall contact the additional director of the electrical wing. The live monitoring of 108 hospitals in the state from the integrated command control centre will begin soon as CCTV circuits are in place," the circular says.

"Most medicines are available in stores. Doctors will prescribe only generic medicines, even if they are not in stock at hospitals," Sharma said.

Explaining its significance, an expert said generic drugs save patients' money. "Generic drugs cost less in spite of the same good manufacturing practices followed to make them," said Dr Abhishek Shukla, the secretary-general of the Association of International Doctors.

Also, doctors will be subjected to a monthly scrutiny on the basis of their specialty, patients counselled in the outpatient wing, major and minor surgeries performed and the likes, and the data will be uploaded on the Health Management Information System portal.