PESHAWAR: The health department has decided to take strict action against pharmaceutical firms failing to ensure timely delivery of medicines to the public sector hospitals in the province.

The department has asked the district health officers and medical superintendents to enforce the directives strictly, a press release issued here on Monday said.

It said that during a recent DHOs’ conference, adviser to CM on health Ihtisham Ali had emphasised that firms failing to comply with delivery schedules must face penalties, including blacklisting.

Following this directive, Director General Health Services Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Dr Mohammad Saleem Khan has reiterated the importance of swift action to uphold the supply chain’s integrity.

In line with these instructions, additional director general for monitoring and evaluation Dr Abid has issued a letter directing all the DHOs and MSs to initiate disciplinary proceedings against firms responsible for delays in delivering medicines, disposable items, and other medical equipment under the allocated emergency budget for the fiscal year 2023-24.

The letter further underscored the need to blacklist non-compliant pharmaceutical companies to ensure accountability. Moreover, it advised the authorities to promptly place new orders for the approved medicines listed in the Medicine Coordination Cell’s 2024-25 list to avoid future disruptions in healthcare services.

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2024