The State may soon see supply of generic medicines to patients at all Government-run hospitals and health centres. The Jharkhand Government with an aim to make regular supply of medicines at hospitals in State has made relaxation in Jharkhand Finance rule 235 and under rule 245, the Government has decided to procure medicines from five pharmaceutical companies of Centre directly.
The State Government has decided to procure 103 generic lifesaving medicines from five drug manufacturing undertakings of the Government of India and supply these lifesaving drugs to various hospitals.
The five pharmaceutical manufacturers units from which the state government will procure medicines included Indian Drugs & Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (IDPL), Karnataka Antibiotics & Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (KAPL), Rajasthan Drugs & Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (RDPL), Bengal Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (BCPL) and Hindustan Antibiotics Ltd. (HAL).
The decision to this effect was taken at Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting where it was decided to supply generic medicines at government hospitals at the same time procurement of generic medicines from five pharmaceutical manufacturers units. A senior health official said, “The Cabinet on Wednesday took an important decision under which generic medicines will be provided at government hospitals. The government decision is a step in providing medicines to the poor and underprivileged standing at the last ladder of society.”
He further said that it is a government decision to provide lifesaving drugs to all sections of society. Moreover, the state government for centralized purchasing of medicines has formed Jharkhand Medical and Health Infrastructure Development and Procurement Corporation.
The supply of medicines is a long and complicated process, which takes about four to six months for procurement of medicines. There are 348 medicines in the State Drug Policy, while the number of these drugs in various formulations is around 622.
As per state government decision, out of these 348 medicines in the state drug policy list, 103 essential lifesaving medicines are in demand at hospitals. The Government of India will be able to make the medicines easily accessible without any tender process from the manufacturers as most of these medicines are produced by respective pharma companies. The availability of the said medicines in proportionate manner will be made available to the various hospitals of the state as per the requirement for the people benefit.