Suo motu case: Sindh relates how medical supplies are procured

Goods approved by seven-member panel are sent to Drug Testing Laboratory for clearance

ISLAMABAD: The Sindh health department has told the Supreme Court that a central procurement committee has been constituted for procuring the medicines and all other medical and surgical goods.

The office of the Sindh Health Secretary has submitted a three-page report in a suo motu case, wherein it is told that central procurement committee is led by Professor Tariq Rafi, Vice Chancellor Jinnah Medical University Karachi, and comprises of six other members.

The apex court had taken a suo motu notice in 2012 after the unfortunate deaths at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) because of spurious drugs or wrong prescription of blood thinning and lipid lowering medicines. The matter was initiated on a note by the then chief justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani when he was a judge in the case of the death of over 90 heart patients under treatment at the PIC.

On April 26, the court asked the provincial governments to submit report pertaining to their measures for improvement of health sector.

The Sindh government submitted that the government is striving to provide almost all the medical facilities to the indoor patient and outdoor patients. The report states that under central contract system, a list of medicines and surgical items is finalised by the health department after seeking requirement from the hospitals.

The tender of medicines is floated in the newspapers and hosted on website by the Sindh Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (SPPRA). The registered companies fill the bids and the same are opened by the committee, says the report.

It is claimed that the rate of the medicines and surgical items is decided as per rules and the committee never compromises on the quality of medicine. The same approved list is sent to all the hospitals for purchase of quality medicines as per rate fixed by the committee.

The report further stated that after procurement of such medicines again the samples are sent to the Drug Testing Laboratory for checking the quality of its ingredients. After receiving appropriate report, the medicines are given to the patients. The concerned head of hospitals and institutes make available all medicines and other required surgical items as per their demand.

The budget is kept at disposal of head of the hospital for placing order with appropriate companies, it adds.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 17^th, 2016.