Minister for Health & Medical Education, Bali Bhagat convened a high-level meeting here today to review the status of procurement of medicines and diagnostic equipment for the health institutions across the State for the next financial year.Commissioner/Secretary Health & Medical Education, Dr Mandeep K Bhandari, Principals, GMC, Kashmir/Jammu, Dr. Qaiser Ahmed, Dr. Zahid A. Gillani, Principals Government Dental Colleges, Kashmir/Jammu, Dr. Farooq Riyaz, Dr. Romesh Singh, Managing Director, JKMSCL, Dr. Yashpal Sharma, Mission Director, NHM, Dr. Mohan Singh, Director Health Services, Kashmir, Dr. Saleem-ur-Rehman, Director Finance ( H&ME), Zahoor Ahmed Wani, Joint Director Planning, Madan Lal and Medical Superintendents of all Associated Hospitals and other senior functionaries of the JKMSCL attended the meeting.The Minister took detailed review of the availability of drugs, medical equipments and other related material in the health institutions being procured by the Jammu and Kashmir Medical Supplies Corporation Ltd (JKMSCL) and issues related to the functioning of the Corporation. He called upon all the heads of departments to maintain close synergy for timely procurement of drugs and putting in timely requirements to the Corporation enabling it to ensure the same in a time bound manner.
On the basis of experience of previous years, it was decided that all the heads of the institutions will place 75 per cent budged funds for medicines and 90 per cent for diagnostic equipment at the disposal of the JKMSCL with their annual requirements in the beginning of every financial year to ensure a hassle-free mechanism. Remaining 25 percent and 10 percent funds shall be with the concerned institutions for handling emergencies and day-to-day needs and repair and maintenance of diagnostic equipments. The requisitions shall be strictly under the budgetary provisions.Laying stress on quality control, the Minister directed the MD, JKMSCL to take all necessary steps to ensure quality of procured drugs and equipments strictly as per the specifications and standards. He called for incorporating strong clauses in the tenders to make the companies fully accountable on account of quality, those who are found violating the norms must be black-listed from the future competitions. He said that the medicines must be got tested from the leading laboratories of the countries to minimize the chances of sub-standard supply.