The medicinal drug procurement process of the Health Ministry’s Medical Supplies Division has been tainted with irregularities, government audit inspection discovered recently.
The Medical Supplies Division had purchased the stock of medicinal drugs by following the policy of issuing orders to the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation with a supply period of 11 months.
Nevertheless, the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation had failed to provide supplies without delay, Audit query revealed.
As for the medical supplies relating to / the year 2018 of under review, the total number of items ordered, had been 8,918 whereas 5,544 items there from equivalent to 62 per cent, had not been supplied by the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation within the year.
Owing to this delay, medicinal drug stocks with higher costs had been purchased from the local market every year.
Accordingly, due to the delay in the supply of main order, the total cost of the medical supplies purchased from the local market through the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation together with the commercial stock of the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation was amounted to Rs. 5,242 million, the audit report revealed.
Meanwhile the Treasury has allocated Rs 1 billion for the purchase of essential drugs including medicines for the treatment of cancer patients.
However, the Treasury should give Rs. 4 billion to the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation for the previous purchases, and Rs. 1 billion to the State Pharmaceuticals Manufacturing Corporation
The health authorities, however, have claimed that the shortage of drugs continued, and it would take weeks to resolve the crisis arose as a result of the drug shortage.
(LI)