Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Feb 5: Despite opposition from several quarters in the multi- million drug trade in the J&K State, the JKMSCL has finally taken off with the good news for patients of cancer, heart and other deadly diseases who will get most of the medicines free of cost from the Government hospitals and even at very low rates now at many drug stores.
Though the process of setting of Medical Supplies Corporation was set in motion when top Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad was the J&K Chief Minister and Ch Lal Singh was the Health Minister but after that the process was derailed by some vested interests within the Health and Medical Education department, following pressure from the powerful lobby of ‘drug suppliers’ in Kashmir and other parts of the State.
Now, again when new PDP- BJP Government came into existence, the process of completion of this unfinished task was again expedited and now within 6-7 months, this Corporation with the support of former Chief Minister Mufti Mohd Sayeed and initiative of Ch Lal Singh has been made almost functional.
Official sources said that Medical Supplies Corp Ltd was infact established in pursuance to the Cabinet decision No. 130/ 15/2013 dated 21-05-2013 vide Govt order No. 329-HME of 2013 dated 22-05-2013 along with creation of 22 posts of different categories. Again, on October 23, sanction was accorded to the nomination of first directors of subscribers to the Memorandum of Association and Article of Association of the said company/ Corporation.
The first directors appointed for the Corporation included B R Sharma, the then Principal Secretary to Govt Planning and Development Department, B B Vyas, Principal Secretary to Govt Finance Department and Gazanfer Hussain, Secretary to Govt Health and Medical Education department and Saugat Biswas the then Managing Director, JKMSCL. Governor N N Vohra is among the four subscribers of the Company with major shares of 49970 while other three have just 10 shares each.
Sources further said that with above process the things again moved at snails pace but after fresh initiative hardly this financial year, the JKMSCL was incorporated on March 5, 2015 under Registrar of Companies J&K.
And subsequently the complete Board comprising of 17 Board of Directors was constituted with Chief Minister of J&K as Chairman and Minister for Health and Medical Education as its Vice Chairman. Most of other Board of Directors are Administrative Secretaries and HODs of various departments mostly in Health and Medical Education.
Dr Yash Paul, Managing Director of the Corporation when contacted said that new Drug Ware Houses are being created, catering to the need of the patients in different districts. Jammu drug ware house would cater to the districts like Samba, Reasi and Udhampur besides Jammu and like-wise Doda drug Ware House would cover Ramban and Kishtwar districts besides Doda. Similarly, Rajouri, Poonch and other parts of Kashmir valley have been covered. While Jammu and Srinagar Drug Ware Houses with all the modern facilities are ready and the others are being created. A total of 10 such Drug Ware Houses are being created.
Referring to drug purchases, quality and testing of the drugs being procured by Corporation, Dr Yash Paul said that four labs from outside the State have been engaged for the drug testing by JKMSCL. Moreover, e-aushadi, drug and vaccine distribution management system of Govt of India has been implemented and all the purchase orders of the Medicines, IV Fluids etc have been issued through the software.
Through online purchases/ tenders, the most transparent system has been adopted and all the companies with minimum Rs 50 crore turn over have been included in the list. The staff has been managed from within the Health and Medical Education Department to run the Corporation at present and many staff members have undergone training. It has also been made mandatory for the firms to get their samples tested through Labs before making purchases and if a drug sample of particular firm fail twice, it will be debarred from participating in the tender process in future.
Replying to another question, the Managing Director said that patients of cancer, heart disease and other ailments will be able to get most of the medicines free of cost from the hospital. He said from the tender floated so far, many medicines of cancer and other ailments have been procured at 50 % less rates of items even cleared by the Bureau of Pharma Public Sector Undertaking of India.
Moreover, for the same medicines, the chemists in the open market are charging even three times more rates from the patients. Citing an example, Dr Yash Paul said that Injection Oxaliplatin 50 mg is being sold in the market at the rate of Rs 2200 while the MSCL has purchased it for Rs 273 while its rate as per Pharma Bureau PSU is around Rs 537. Inj Cisplatin 50 mg/ 50 ml having market rate around Rs 316 is being purchased at the rate of Rs 180. Inj Corboplatin 450 mg having market rate of Rs 4500 is being purchased at the rate of 1323 and similarly Tab Cefuroxime 250 mg which is being sold at the rate of Rs 139 ( 1×10) is being procured at the rate of Rs 44.60 by the Corporation.
The middle-men will vanish and the procurement will come directly from the big companies. This way at least 50 % money of the drugs budget will be saved and the quantity of the medicines will also be doubled benefitting more patients of the State. He said with the same budget now, double quantity of the medicines with good quality will be purchased and many patients of the State under the grip of deadly diseases will be able to get some relief.
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