Unified sub-committee formed in each district to purchase 15% medicines

LARKANA: Sindh Health Department has constituted a unified sub-committee in each district of the Sindh province to supervise and purchase 15% medicines under Local Purchase (LP) for all tertiary, primary and district health facilities and hospitals.

All previous procurement committees notified for LP about 15% medicines have been abolished. The composition of the new committee is as under:

District and Sessions Judge of relevant district will the chairman of the committee while its members include relevant District Health Officer, Medical Superintendent, representatives of Deputy Commissioners and District Accounts Officers.

The committee will work out on the demand of health facilities so as to ensure 15% medicines under LP. The committee will also inspect the items procuredthrough LP and Central Rate Contract System (CRCS). Shifting of medicines from one hospital to another health facility on need basis will also be its responsibility.

A retired Medical Superintendent (MS) told this scribe on the condition of anonymity: “This will no doubt ensure supply of quality drugs to the poor patients, but it will also increase chances of theft by the paramedics and other duty staff which must also be curbed.”

He said it must also be thoroughly probed why CRCS was introduced under which drugs procurement and supply was always delayed for half year for one reason or the other. He said corruption kings had looted the public wealth at the cost of poor patients’ lives for which they should be made accountable.

MS Chandka Medical College Hospital Dr Ali Gohar Dahri, said that tenders for supply of remaining 85% medicines under CRCS had not yet been finalized despite passage of over five months which had delayed the supply of essential medicines and other relevant items multiplying woes of the poor indoor patients in the entire province.

Reliable sources said that annual budget allocation for drug and medicines during CFY to Chandka Medical College Hospital is Rs 555,450,000, and Rs 56,307,000 are allocated for female patients of Shaikh Zayed Hospital for Women.

Dr. Dahri further said that indoor patients were supplied medicines during past five months which were available in the hospital store and out of stock drugs were procured by the patients from the open market due to non-supply of medicines by the government. He said: “We have already floated tender for supply of 15% LP medicines and some quantity of drugs have been procured on old rates basis to benefit patients.