The Punjab Government has set up three scientifically designed regional warehouses to stock medicines that can be supplied to Government hospitals on need-basis. The warehouses have been set up at Amritsar, Bathinda and Kharar (near Chandigarh) at a cost of Rs376.39 lakh.
The State Health and Family Welfare Minister Surjit Kumar Jayani said that the warehouses have been especially designed to keep stocked medicines protected.“Punjab Government is presently providing more than 300 free medicines in Government hospitals and this number would increase in the near future. The warehouses have been set up for storage and timely distribution of medicines and putting in place an online inventory management system for ensuring effective online management and monitoring of drug,” he said.
Jayani said that in 2013-14, medicines worth Rs70 crore were supplied to Government hospitals for free distribution. “Warehouse at Verka in Amritsar has been constructed with the cost of Rs141.21 lakh, warehouse at Bathinda at a cost of Rs116.53 lakh and the one at Kharar at a cost of Rs118.65 lakh,” he said. The warehouse at Kharar had recently supplied anti-snake venom to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) and Sector-16 Government Multi-Specialty Hospital, both in Chandigarh, as these institutions were facing shortage of the product, he said.
Jayani said that besides systematic distribution of medicines, transparency in the supply and purchase of drugs would also be ensured. “These warehouses would be equipped with all ultramodern facilities for safe storage of drugs,” he said. With the establishment of these regional warehouses and putting an online inventory management system in place, the procurement and distribution of drugs and consumables would be streamlined.
He said that online link between state headquarter, regional warehouses and hospitals would be established. “This would enable assessment of requirements of drugs as per the past consumption pattern and also identify drugs by generating secret codes and also monitor value of drugs drawn from the stores by the hospitals,” he said.
Each and every batch of drugs would be easily traceable online tracking of drug inventory at various health institutions in the State and supplier wise track record to provide a profile of suppliers could also be done, he added.