Patna, Jan. 17: The state health department has decided to blacklist the pharmaceutical companies irregular in supplying essential drugs to the state-run hospitals. It would also do away with the system of depending on any one company for regular supply of drugs.
Chairing a review meeting today, health minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey said: “We will not depend on any one agency for supply of medicines and will collaborate with others to streamline things. Also, the companies which have been habitual defaulters will be blacklisted.”
The minister said there had been incessant complaints about availability of medicines in the state-run hospitals.
Out of total 193 drugs that should be available in the emergency wards of the government hospitals, only a few can be found on shelves. Of the 41 drugs that should be always available at outdoor departments, hardly 10 are available at a time in a health hub, sources said.
“The health minister’s remarks reveal how irregular the drug suppliers were. This has been happening for years without anybody taking serious action. With these directions, the drug supply process will be streamlined,” a source said.
The government has also decided to take no chances as far as availability of drugs in these hospitals are concerned.
To streamline this entire process, Bihar State Health Society (BSHS) has instructed all the six government-run medical colleges in the state to stock medicines for at least six months so that all the listed medicines are made available to patients free of cost, without any hindrance.
Responding to health minister Choubey’s dissatisfaction over supply and distribution of medicines in hospitals across the state, BSHS executive director Sanjay Kumar said letters were issued to superintendents of medical colleges to stock medicines for about six months and also to send requisition to agencies at least two months in advance.
Procurement and distribution of medicines in the state will now be under the ambit of newly constituted Bihar Medical Services and Infrastructure Corporation (BMSIC) though its proper functioning is still a far cry. It will take a minimum of two months to get fully functional.
Health centres
The process to construct and renovate about 128 primary health Centres (PHCs) in the state has started. The government has asked for central aid for 62 others, said BSHS officials during the meeting. The National Rural Health Mission envisages full capacity building of PHCs and additional PHCs in the state.
The state government plans to convert all additional PHCs into 30-bed hospitals, buildings for which will be constructed by BMSIC.
Directions were also passed to BSHS to prepare a detailed list of vacancies of dentists in hospitals. The state government is keen to fill up the vacant posts within the next three months.
