The state cabinet yesterday approved the proposal which now makes it mandatory not just for the Public Health and Medical Education department, but other government departments that provide medical services to not just purchase medicines, allied materials and medical equipments only from the Haffkine Bio-Pharmaceuticals Corporation Limited. The government has argued that the move to centralise the purchasing of medicines and medical equipments will streamline the process and help in improving and maintaining the quality standards. Besides this it will also save funds for the government in bulk purchases.
However, the decision has not gone down well with the Public Health department officials who while speaking on conditions of anonymity argued that the centralized procurement system will only lead to a mess. The official added that the government is favoring centralization of power at a time when the need of the hour is to decentralize it. The move will only lead to delay in supplies to hospitals. Sources further disclosed that the Public Health department was directed to draft the cabinet note favoring centralization of the process.
Meanwhile, Minister for Public Health Dr Deepak Sawant argued that the decision will bring more transparency in the purchasing of medicines. He added that the government will be able to keep a inventory of which departments require which antibiotics or other equipments and stocks they have with them. When asked what if one department faces shortage or is in urgent need of a particular medicine, will it have to wait for other departments to place orders, Dr Sawant clarified that the departments are empowered to make purchases up to Rs 3 lakhs or make purchases from their Contingency Funds.
Besides the Public Health and Medical Education department, government departments like Women and Child Development, Social Justice and Special Assistance, Home, Tribal Development, Zilla Parishads and other departments do provide medical services. As per the cabinet decision, all these departments will now have to only procure all the medicines, allied materials and medical equipments only from Haffkine Bio-Pharmaceuticals Corporation Limited.