April 24, 2007	Tuesday	Rabi-us-Sani 06, 1428

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ISLAMABAD, April 23: The government is mulling a proposal to centralise the procurement of drugs and medicines for federal government hospitals.

This was stated by Minister for Health Mohammad Nasir Khan on Monday in a written reply to a question asked by Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali in the National Assembly.

The minister noted that bulk purchase for all federal hospitals would result in competitive rates and uniformity in the hospital formulary and besides ensuring better quality and availability of medicines in the hospitals.

He said the heads of respective hospitals, Inspector General (Hospitals) as members and Director General Health in his capacity as Chairperson of the Federal procurement committee will be involved in the monitoring of central procurement.

Replying to another question he said the number of drug inspectors serving in the Health Ministry was twelve. He said raids were conducted by the drug inspectors at different medical stores in Islamabad during 2006-07.

He said various cases of contravention of the Drugs Act, 1976 were identified during the raids. Twenty medical stores were sealed, twelve out of twenty cases are under trial in the Drug Court and eight cases are under process in the ICT Quality Control Board. He said necessary direction had also been issued to the Chief Commissioner Islamabad to expedite all the cases pending before the ICT Quality Control Board.

Responding to another question he said the Ministry of Health had drafted an ordinance: “Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues, 2007”, which had been approved in principal by the federal cabinet. The ordinance has been sent to the Ministry of Law, Justice and Human Rights for its final vetting which is expected very soon. The ordinance will be promulgated after being accorded a final approval.

The ordinance will serve as a check on the illegal trade of kidneys, corneas and other organs and tissues as well.

He said the Ministry had taken various steps during the last three years for the development of homeopathy. He said the Ministry of Health had moved a bill in the National Assembly aimed at regulating the manufacture, import, export, storage, distribution and sale of Tibb-e-Unani, ayurvedic, homoeopathic, herbal and other non-allopathic medicines.

The Stranding Committee on Health has already cleared the Bill with certain amendments. The Parliamentary Affairs Division has been requested to include the bill on the order of the day at the earliest.

He said Homoeopathic and Tibb clinics were being established in the federal government hospitals on his directions. He said the National Council for Homoeopathic (NCH) was discussing the working plan with the Executive Director of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and the Medical Superintendent of the Federal Government Services Hospital (FGSH) Islamabad to finalise the scheme.

He said several amendments in Unani, ayurvedic and homoeopathic system of medicines rules 1980 have been made in consultation with NCH and with the concurrence of Law, Justice and Human Rights Division.