Patna, March 1: A 16-year-old girl died of snakebite in a Sitamarhi government hospital a few months ago despite timely treatment. Primary investigations revealed that the anti-venom administered to the girl did not work despite being purchased at three times the approved rate for medicine of that composition.

The probe revealed that the medicine was bought from a local drug agency that was not empanelled with State Health Society, Bihar.

Though the probe is still on, action is yet to be taken against any health employee concerned. The incident shows how flawed the government’s drug procurement and distribution systems are. All these have led to large-scale irregularities, triggered corruption and increased suffering of common people.

Issues like these led to the suspension of four civil surgeons of Gaya, Saran, East Champaran and Rohtas districts yesterday. But if sources are to be believed, this could only be just the beginning and more action could be seen in the coming days, as the department’s scrutiny and crackdown to “clean the system” goes deeper.

Health secretary-cum-executive director Sanjay Kumar admitted “there were some problems in procuring drugs for the government health centres”.

“We provide medicines free of cost for most common ailments to outdoor and indoor patients in all government health facilities. Efforts to streamline drug procurement and distribution were made though rate contracting and cash-and-carry system. Through the system, civil surgeons in 38 districts and superintendents in medical colleges have been authorised to buy around 223 medicines from 44 drug agencies at pre-approved rates,” the bureaucrat told The Telegraph.

Kumar, however, added that in many cases, the authorities buy drugs at higher rates and from sub-standard medicine agencies that are not enlisted with the department.

“Despite clear-cut instructions to buy drugs, at least two years from the date of expiry, in many cases, medicines with short expiry durations are bought. We have also received complaints that in some hospitals, expired drugs have been distributed among patients,” said the health secretary.

One such case came to light in West Champaran, where senior health officials were found prima facie guilty of causing revenue losses worth Rs 1.5 crore through irregularities, including buying drugs that were very close to expiry dates. Three civil surgeons, two previous and one present, are under the scanner in the case, as these purchases were made between 2008 and 2010.

According to government figures, medicines worth Rs 100 crore were bought by the department last financial year. The sources said 40 per cent of these drugs came through the National Rural Health Mission, while the state bore the cost of the rest.

The government now pins hopes on the newly conceptualised Bihar Medical Infrastructure and Services Corporation Ltd, which is adopting a “centralised drug procurement system”. The system, which follows the Tamil Nadu model, will see stocking of medicines at the state- level warehouse.

Officials said with a central corporation taking care of buying and distributing drugs and a hi-tech drug infantry management system being introduced, things could be streamlined.