Delhi govt hospitals facing constant lack of essential medicines, critical equipment, flags CAG report

On gaps in CPA supply, the report underlined that medicines listed under the Essential Drugs List (EDL) were not supplied despite demand in several cases, forcing hospitals to depend on local chemists for routine requirements.

Procurement delays extended to medical equipment as well. Of 86 tenders floated by the CPA, only 24 — or 28 per cent — were awarded. The audit also found gaps in monitoring the repair, maintenance, and replacement of equipment, contributing to shortages across hospital departments and laboratories.

The auditor also flagged serious lapses in quality assurance. Drugs were distributed to hospitals before completion of quality testing with samples being sent for testing months after delivery. In some instances, medicines were later found to be of inferior quality, even as they had already been administered to patients. The audit also recorded cases of procurement from blacklisted or debarred firms.

In addition, the report pointed to systemic policy gaps, including the failure to update the Essential Drugs List annually and the absence of a Delhi State Formulary since 1994, which is meant to guide prescription and dispensing practices
Among its recommendations, the CAG called for annual revision of the EDL, strengthening of quality control systems, timely drug testing, and safeguards against procurement from blacklisted suppliers. It also stressed the need to ensure adequate availability of equipment in line with prescribed norms.

Responding to the findings, the Delhi Health department said the Essential Drugs List has now been finalised and will be updated annually. It added that a new State Formulary will be prepared within six months and that the CPA has been revamped to streamline procurement and build a database of defaulting suppliers.

Despite these assurances, the audit noted that hospitals continued to incur higher expenditure due to local purchases necessitated by supply failures. In one case, annual drug procurement rose from Rs 5.37 crore in 2016–17 to Rs 32.33 crore in 2020–21, far exceeding initial estimates.

Audit pointed out that, as per the Drug Policy of NCT of Delhi (1994), four Central Drug Procurement, Storage and Distribution Centre were to be set up to ensure modern techniques of drug storage and inventory control. However, these had not been set up till date.

The Health department informed that it was in the process to create a warehouse in line with Tamil Nadu Medical Supply Corporation Warehouse and the same would be placed before the Competent Authority. It informed that approximately one year might be taken for this purpose.