The procedure adopted by Health Department is to call for tenders for supply of drugs to the Government hospitals. Out of 58 tenders submitted by suppliers last January, 35 companies emerged successful by fulfilling the requisite conditions and qualifications. The natural course was to issue orders to these companies to supply specified drugs within a time frame. But ten months have passed by and the Rate Control Committee has not moved an inch beyond approving 35 bidding companies. Why is not the Committee moving the matter remains a mystery? In the absence of availability of drugs in hospitals, the authorities are constrained to buy them in open market and that is a bad practice as it could be tantamount to defrauding the Government. At the same time, there is much urgency to have some important drugs in store with the Government owing to peculiar situation created by recent flash floods in Kashmir and other parts of the State. It is a bizarre situation that for full nine months the Rate Control Committee is unable to move the matters which they do know is of urgency. It is playing with the health of the people and the patients who are admitted in hospitals with the impression that some essential drugs are available with the Health Department.
The lest that the Health Department can do is to place urgent order with a few of the approved companies and ask them to supply specific drugs within specific time. Moreover, the aftermath of the floods should not be taken out of mind. Its impact on the health of the sufferers is to be closely monitored. As such there should be no paucity of drugs at any level in the State.
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