P.K. Mohapatra

Bhubaneswar, June 26: The state government will soon set up the Odisha Medical Service Corporation to deal with the purchase of medicines and supply them to various hospitals for free distribution to patients.

Health secretary P.K. Mohapatra said: “The department will soon post an IAS officer to look after the functioning of the corporation. The corporation will work on no profit-no loss basis. Only 10 to 15 people will work at the corporation. Almost the entire functioning of the corporation will happen online. Only five per cent of the corporation’s budget will be earmarked for administrative expenses.”

Mohapatra said the corporation would look after the purchase of medicine and government’s free distribution of drugs scheme.

“The total business transaction of the company will be around Rs 400 crore. The medicines will be bought online.”

The corporation will be set up by September this year. “The government hospitals will be supplied ample medicines and people can benefit from the free drugs. We are also assisting people living below poverty line from the Odisha Treatment Fund for treatment of critical diseases both at government and private sector hospitals,” said an official.

Medicines for critical diseases will be made available free of cost at all government hospitals in the state. Earlier, medicines were available for cold, fever and other common ailments alone. Under the free distribution of medicines scheme, generic drugs will also be provided.

“We have earmarked a budget of nearly Rs 235 crore for procurement of drugs. The government will keep a watch on whether doctors in government sectors are prescribing the generic medicines or not,” an official said. Under its plan to revamp the health sector, the state government has also decided to increase the number of beds at four district headquarters hospitals (Kendrapara, Jharsuguda, Malkangiri and Dhenkanal) from the existing 100 to 300.

“We also plan to establish intensive care units at 12 district headquarters hospitals and the Capital Hospital. Work is on to set up a dedicated civil wing for the departments and to have eight ISO standard district headquarters hospitals,” said the official.