Kerala moves to secure medicine supply for government hospitals
Kerala's Health Minister says government hospitals will not face medicine shortages, with 530 of 855 essential medicines already delivered.
Government hospitals across Kerala will not run short of medicines, Health Minister K. Muraleedharan said in a statement on Tuesday. He said pharmaceutical companies had been directed to accelerate the distribution of drugs, and that institutional heads had been told to make local purchases through Karunya outlets should any shortage emerge.
The Minister attributed the disruption to a delayed procurement cycle. Kerala Medical Services Corporation Limited normally wraps up its procedures in April and issues purchase orders by May. This year, the April order could not be placed because of the election code of conduct, and the process was completed only after the new government assumed office.
Compounding the delay, several companies that had taken part in the tender withdrew after the conflict in West Asia made drug distribution unviable. In the meantime, purchase orders were issued for 664 of the 855 items on the essential medicines list, and 530 medicines have already reached the State.
More consignments are expected by the end of September. Fresh tenders have been floated for the remaining 191 items, with that process still under way. The Supply Chain department is also shifting stock between warehouses and institutions to head off shortages, the Minister added.