MULTAN, Feb 7: The process for procurement of medicines and other consumables for the state-run health facilities in the Punjab is again likely to hit snags on account of the disinterest shown by reputed national and multi-national pharmaceutical firms.

After devolution of powers, the procurement of medicines and surgical consumables for the state-run hospitals has been entrusted to the district governments. This, however, has been done without amending the relevant clauses of the purchase manual.

An executive district officer (Health) in each of the 34 districts is authorized under the new system to invite bids for supply of medicines and other consumables. But the tenders called by the EDOs have time and again failed to elicit adequate response. Despite the recent enhancement of financial powers, an EDO can still spend no more than Rs600,000 on the purchases. The EDOs will have to procure annually medicines worth an average of about Rs20 million. It was perhaps to win the confidence of better known pharmaceutical firms that the provincial government constituted medicine procurement committees in the districts headed by the respective district coordination officers.

However, only some little-known firms have participated in the bidding in several districts. Most of the firms are unregistered. Some the bidding firms, too, have refused to supplies the medicines on account of lack of confidence in the EDOs’ ability to pay their bills.

On Saturday last, the provincial health secretary chaired a meeting of the EDOs (Health) to discuss the procurement situation. Most of the EDOs reportedly told the secretary they were facing problems.

Sources said the EDOs of Muzaffargarh and Leiah districts informed the secretary that the DCOs in these districts had refused to verify the comparison of tenders and subsequent approval of the lowest bids.

The sources said that most of the firms qualified recently by the Health Department did not have the capacity to supply the quantities involved. Moreover, they said, quality of their products was also questionable. They said physicians seldom prescribed the products of these firms.

In his recent visit of Muzaffargarh, the governor was told about the shortage of medicines at the state-run health facilities. The governor had asked the EDO (Health) to explain the situation. The EDO had submitted that the DCO had refused to approve the tenders. The DCO had reportedly told the governor that the firms prequalified by the Health Department did not enjoy good reputation in the market in terms of quality of their products. “I do not want to go behind bars for approving sub-standard medicines,” he was quoted as having said. “The DCO clearly said he would prefer relinquishing the charge rather than purchase substandard medicines.”

In the EDOs meeting, the secretary directed them to complete the procurement from the pre-qualified firms by March 1, 2002. “Those who cannot complete the process by the end of February will have to face the music,” he was said to have warned the participants of the meeting.

Interestingly, the Health Department is said to be likely to grant pre-qualification to the firms participating in this year’s tenders for the next fiscal year as well.