‘E-tender system for medicines inadequate’

Two weeks after the state government decided to employ an e-tender system for the procurement of medicines,activists have called the step ‘inadequate’. Jan Arogya Abhiyan and Jan Swasthya Abhiyan ,which work for the betterment of public health,feel this step alone will not help overcome the gross shortage faced by government health facilities. Group members said the state should adopt the Tamil Nadu system of procurement and distribution of medicines. “After the establishment of the Tamil Nadu model for procurement of medicines in 1995,all outdoor and indoor patients in government health facilities get all medicines free of cost and 40 per cent of patients seek care in these centres,” said JAA member Dr Anand Phadke. “The annual per capita government expenditure on medicines in Maharashtra is almost the same,about Rs 28. Yet,the supply of medicines is not even one-third of Tamil Nadu,” added Phadke.

Last November,the JAA did a survey in Nandurbar,Amravati,Gadchiroli,Sangli and Kolhapur. The results showed that of the ten primary health centres in these districts,52 per cent of essential medicines were out of stock. “PHCs in Maharashtra are supply-driven. As against this,the PHCs in TN can choose their medicines within a budget of Rs.1.2 lakh,” said Ram Adsule,member,Jan Swasthya Abhiyan group.