New Delhi: Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj has written to the Chief Secretary regarding the shortage of medicines in hospitals. He stated that following the directives of the Vigilance Department, the Health Secretary has ordered the removal of five essential drugs with poor quality – Amlodipine, Leveteracetam, Pantoprazole, Cefalexin, and Dexamethasone – from hospitals. Bhardwaj emphasised the need to immediately manage these drugs and urged the Health Secretary to ensure their availability.
Apart from removing the five drugs, Bhardwaj highlighted the disposal of essential items such as cotton and bandages due to hospital substandard quality. Removing these crucial items has not been accompanied by alternative arrangements, leading to potential shortages. The Health Minister instructed the Chief Secretary to provide a report on the current stock of these items within a week. Additionally, he called for developing a standard operating procedure to ensure the quality of future pharmaceutical purchases.
Bhardwaj is overseeing the implementation of an alternative provision for the five drugs – Amlodipine, Leveteracetam, Pantoprazole, Cefalexin, and Dexamethasone – to make them available in hospitals. He requested a report on the current stock status within a week and emphasised the need for a streamlined procurement process for medications, ensuring their quality. The report on the drug procurement process should be submitted within 15 days.
In response to the issue of counterfeit drugs, the Vigilance Department directed the Health Secretary to promptly identify and seize fake medicines in Delhi hospitals. Furthermore, the Health Department has been instructed to halt payments to companies that supplied these drugs. Relevant documents related to this matter must be submitted within 48 hours.
The Health Minister’s proactive measures aim to address the challenges in the healthcare system, ensuring the availability of quality medicines and essential supplies while cracking down on counterfeit drugs to safeguard public health.