State GMCs facing drug shortage




By Vikas Vaidya

Maharashtra Government’s bid to ensure transparency in procurement of medicines for its hospitals is unable to finalise the modalities leaving the patients in a lurch across the State. With hospitals running out of medicine stock, the patients are being asked to procure medicines from open market which is a herculean task for the masses. Government might have taken a just stand to weed out irregularities in bulk purchase of drugs but its own internal contradictions is playing out resulting in creating a mega mess.
Post controversy over procurements of medicines, Government had named a committee headed by former Director General of Police (DGP) Praveen Dixit to work out the new norms. Known for his microscopic working pattern, Dixit got to bottom of the entire matter and ensured that every purchase was justified. But for reasons best known to them, the Government played another trick in the already knotty matter and disbanded the Dixit-led committee.
Now Government has asked Haffkine Institute to carry out the bulk purchases of medicines required for the public hospitals in the State. However the main problem still remains the same, the rules and criterions relating to purchases of medicine have not been finalised till date. But in all this mess the patients from below the poverty line, they are ones who avail medical facility at Government hospitals, are the worst sufferers.
The total budget of the medicines of all 16 GMCs of State is Rs 130 crore. Each GMC is supposed to post its drug requirement to the committee which in turn would purchase the medicines and send them to the respective GMC. On August 12, 2017 Government issued a Government Resolution (GR) asking all GMCs not to purchase medicine without the new committee’s permission. Since then the drug purchase of all GMCs came to halt.
Admitting the fact the Deans of Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) and Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital (IGGMCH) Dr Abhimanyu Niswade and Dr Anuradha Shrikhande respectively said that they tried to meet the requirement through Personal Account meant for emergency expenditure. But that funds too are getting reduced. There is shortage of all major essential and life-saving drugs like the saline, cardiac medicines, anti-rabies vaccine, anti-venom for snake bites and 30-35 vaccinations which are consumed on regular basis.
According to sources, Government did not show wisdom while constituting new committee. They either had taken all the related components into confidence and then would have formed the committee or could not have dissolved the earlier committee till new committee streamline the procedure. Medical Education Secretary Sanjay Deshmukh, Director of Medical Education and Research Dr Pravin Shingare have taken this issue seriously and had a talk with the concerned ministries. It is said that Government may put the the demand of Rs 98 crore for drug purchase alone in next 2-3 days to resolve the issue.


Bawankule takes officers to task over DPC funds


The funds of some crores of rupees to be allotted by District Planning Committee are pending as far as Nagpur district and Mumbai are concerned. When The Hitavada passed on this vital information to Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule he immediately taken all the officers to task. He asked everybody why he was kept in dark? Had it been informed to him, he would have taken steps, pointed out Bawankule in a meeting convened at Mumbai immediately after the completion of House work. The meeting was attended by Medical Education Secretary, Finance Secretary, Director of DMER and others. Finally Finance Department came out with the order that says all the funds under DPC be given to medical colleges for the purchases of equipment. Thanks to Bawankule for his timely intervention, else, the funds would have lapsed after March 31.

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