AYUSH drugs must reach hospitals by May 30: Government

BHUBANESWAR:  Odisha Government has directed the Directorate of AYUSH to ensure that the drugs purchased in December last year reach all ayurvedic hospitals and dispensaries in the State by end of this month. Additional Chief Secretary of Health and Family Welfare department PK Mohapatra said a team of 11 officials has been formed to supervise the dispatch of drugs to the hospitals and dispensaries by May 30 without fail.

“They have been entrusted with the responsibility to ensure that the drugs reach the ayurvedic centres and are utilised properly. Deviation in any manner will be viewed with strictly. The Government is providing drugs free of cost so that patients can be benefited. It has to be ensured by the officials working at the field level,” he said.

The direction came in wake of a report carried by The Express exposing the plan of the Directorate to purchase more drugs without any tender when medicines worth around `8.56 crore procured under the National AYUSH Mission (NAM) was gathering dust for the last over five months. The drugs procured in December last were dispatched to districts almost after three months and those were piled up on the campuses of District Ayurvedic Medical Officers (DAMO).

Although there was no restriction imposed on movement of drugs and medical equipment during the lockdown, the Directorate allegedly did not take any step for distribution of the drugs. Instead of focusing on distribution, the Director had sought stock entry certificates of the drugs from all DAMOs leading to resentment.  The Government has also turned down the proposal sent by the Directorate to procure drugs worth over `nine crore more. Meanwhile, it has been decided that the drugs required by the Directorate will be procured by Odisha State Medical Corporation Limited, an independent procurement agency for the Health and Family Welfare department.