In bid to help poor patients, orthopaedic implants at AIIMS to be procured through AMRIT Pharmacy
AMRIT Pharmacies sell expensive drugs like those used for treating cancer and cardiovascular diseases at a 30-40 per cent cheaper rate. The outlets are opened in partnership with both Centre and state government medical institutions.
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A daily and monthly status report on the footfall of new and follow-up patients in the out-patient department (OPD) will also be shared on the dashboard. (File)In a move to help poor patients seeking emergency implant surgeries, All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), Delhi, has decided that all orthopaedic implants at the institute will now be procured via Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment (AMRIT) Pharmacy as per the needs of patients and recommendation of the doctor concerned, officials said.
AMRIT Pharmacies sell expensive drugs like those used for treating cancer and cardiovascular diseases at a 30-40 per cent cheaper rate. The outlets are opened in partnership with both Centre and state government medical institutions. In 2019, the government allowed private players to open AMRIT stores all over the country.
An office memorandum issued by AIIMS Director Dr M Srinivas said, “It has been noted that there is no rate contract for procurement of orthopaedic implants at AIIMS. The matter has been discussed with faculty from the department of orthopaedics and it is understood that as the needs of patients are varying (in terms of size, type, fresh / revision, etc.), it is not possible to plan the procurement in advance and indent needs to be raised patient wise.”
Dr Srinivas added that he has also been informed that PGIMER Chandigarh, Safdarjung Hospital, AIIMS Rishikesh, etc. are already procuring orthopaedic implants as per the need of patients and the recommendation of the doctor concerned via AMRIT Pharmacy.
“Accordingly, it has been decided that w.e.f. January 1, 2023, all orthopaedic implants at AIIMS shall be procured via AMRIT Pharmacy only as per the need of the patients and recommendation of the doctor concerned. Medical superintendent shall in consultation with Dept of Orthopaedics finalise the requirements of AIIMS New Delhi and enter into a necessary agreement with M/s HLL Lifecare Ltd by 30th November 2022,” said the order.
The requisite space and facilities will be provided to AMRIT pharmacy in the main hospital and Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Centre to enable them to stock and supply the required implants to AIIMS.
According to a senior doctor working with the hospital, the move will help poor patients coming to the emergency for implant surgeries. He added that so far, AIIMS did not have its own orthopaedic implants and patients were procuring them on their own from outside.
“Nails and plates used in arthroplasty were not available in the hospital. The move will help patients if the implants are available in AMRIT Pharmacy,” said the doctor on the condition of anonymity.
However, the addition of a third party means added responsibility to ensure more transparency, said another senior doctor working with the institute. “Ideally, it should have been free of cost and with the arrival of third parties, we will require more transparency. We will get to know more once an elaborate plan is laid out,” said the doctor.
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