Drug shortage recurring in state

Bengaluru: There is no relief from the recurring problem of drug shortage in the state. Every year, due to a blunder by the authorities, the poor patients are struggling to get medicines in the government hospitals on time.

The Karnataka State Medical Supplies Corporation (KSMSCL), under the Department of Health, is responsible for purchasing and supplying medicines to district and taluk hospitals. For this, tenders are held every year for the purchase of medicines worth hundreds of crores of rupees. Instead of conducting the tender as per the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement (KTTP) Act, the corporation officials are conducting the tender process on the basis of unscientific rules implemented in the tender during the previous BJP government. Due to this, it takes another 2-3 months to buy the medicine after completing the tender process.

Due to this action, the patients will have to suffer even more if they do not get the medicine at the stipulated time. In neighbouring states, fresh tenders are invited in February every year, the final process is completed in March and the drugs are stocked in April. However, corporation officials are still struggling to finalise procurement tenders for medicines in Karnataka. The final process of 28 tenders called in the original line has not been completed. Due to unscientific rule implementation, officials do not know how to conduct tenders, there is delay in procurement of medicine after completion of tender.

Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and other states of the country are divided into three categories in relation to drug procurement. There are three categories as ‘General Medicines, Cancer Medicines and Surgical Medicines’. General medicines are purchased through a single tender process. Due to this, medicines are available in government hospitals in other states at scheduled times. However, in our state, no category is made regarding medicines. Each will be tendered separately and evaluated. In addition, documents are required to be submitted for each tender.

An order for tender query should be issued after issuing the annual tender notification. This will facilitate the bidding companies for submission of documents, verification of documents, bank guarantee and other documents for submission of tender. However, even after 30-40 days pass after the tender notification, the authorities do not issue a corrigendum for submitting bids for the tender. They extend the tender for 7 days as a formality and issue corrigendum orders.

During this period there is insufficient time for submission of other documents including bank guarantee. It will take at least 10 days to get the bank guarantee. Therefore, the tender process should be completed as per the KTTP Act by removing the unscientific rule incorporated in the tenders.

In the year 2020-21, out of 235 medicines, the tender process of 44 medicines has not been finalized by the corporation authorities. The same problem is likely to occur this year as well. Rs 100 crores estimated to be outstanding for 10 years.