The Sindh health department has withdrawn medicine purchasing powers of medical superintendents of governments hospitals throughout Sindh over corruption complaints, reliable sources at the department said on Sunday.
Now the medicines will be purchased under rate contract basis for the fiscal year 2014-15, they said.
The sources said that the health department had directed the heads of government hospitals to send the detailed report on medicines required for this year so that it could buy the same in the light of hospitals demand. The department would purchase the medicines on rate contract basis for government hospitals on central basis and this decision would help retain fix rate of medicines throughout the province.
The sources said procurement committee would be formed soon in this regard. The medicines procurement committee would analysis the quality of medicines and then approve the purchase of medicines from best available medicines company for public healthcares. The step would help retain fix rate of medicines across the province.
Earlier, the medical superintendents of hospitals used to purchase medicines from different pharmaceutical companies on separate rates. The medicines had been purchased on fourth time high rates as compared to original prices, sources added. Sources said such complains were common in interior Sindh where the heads of public hospitals were found involved in irregularities in drug purchase.
Medical superintendents of various government hospitals had welcomed the decision of health department high-ups but they feared that the public hospitals might face medicines crises in upcoming months which further increase patients miseries.
They said decision of medicines purchases should be taken with the end of last fiscal year and feared that they delay in tender issuance might cause drug shortage in public healthcares of province in coming months.
Additional Secretary Procurement Dr Sabir Memon confirmed the development and said a medicine procurement committee had been formed under the supervision of Vice Chancellor Jinnah Sindh Medical University Prof Dr Tariq Rafi for purchasing medicines for public healthcares on central basis but final decision could not be taken yet due to absence of Secretary Health Sindh who was currently on leave.
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