GMCH gave Rs 7.5 crore to Haffkine, yet to get medicines worth Rs 6 crore, Health News, ET HealthWorld

Nagpur: Government medical colleges (GMCs) and big hospitals attached to them have the power to spend less than Rs 5,000 per day to procure medicines and surgical items independently.

For the rest, they are totally dependent on Haffkine Bio-Pharmaceuticals Corporation Ltd. This has resulted in a huge medicine and surgical crisis in hospitals attached to GMCs across the state.

One example is that of GMCH Nagpur which is one of Asia’s largest medical college campuses and the biggest public hospital in Vidarbha. The GMCH had deposited Rs 7.5 crore in Hafkin’s account for medicinal and surgical material for the year 2022-23.

By December 2022, the hospital is still awaiting medicines worth Rs 6 crore. This apathy by Haffkine has resulted in a massive shortage of medicines in GMCH. Patients and their relatives have no other option but to purchase medicines from the open market.

It is mandatory for all medical colleges and hospitals attached to the state government’s DMER to purchase medicines, medical equipment and other related items only through Haffkine. Every hospital can spend up to Rs 10 lakh annually to buy medicines/surgicals individually. The figure was just Rs 3 lakh till 2021. The government increased it to Rs 10 lakh on May 7, 2021.

While hearing a PIL recently, the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court expressed the need to revoke even the annual Rs 10 lakh sealing. The court also sought details of demand and supply from the government. Last year, TOI got procurement details from GMCH Nagpur.

It received only 64 types of medicines last year against the demand of 261. According to the official record of the period between April 2021 and March 2022, the GMCH diverted funds amounting to nearly Rs 7.58 crore to Hafkine for the purchase of medicinal and surgical materials.

They had listed 261 medicines of various kinds. But the government approved only 122. Further, only 64 medicines were provided by the Hafkine. It means medicines worth Rs 5.94 crore were not received.

Conditions at the Super Specialty Hospital attached to GMCH are more disturbing. Between 2017 and 2022, the SSH deposited Rs 60 crore into Haffkine’s account for high-tech medical equipment. The SSH got machines worth just Rs 7 crore in the last five years. It means the remaining Rs 53 crore is still unspent and lying in Haffkine’s account.