NEW DELHI: The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) vigilance department’s audit report has revealed grave discrepancies in the procurement of medicines by the civic body’s biggest hospital, Charak Palika Hospital. The report has found out that the Accounts and Purchase Selection Committee (APSC), which procures medicines for all hospitals, dispensaries and health centres, bought the drugs without prescription and at higher rates. At present, there are 13 dispensaries and two major hospitals under the NDMC.
The report stated that showing a requirement of Capnat medicine—an medicine for cancer patients—the panel bought 975 Capnat tablets for `1.5 lakh. The audit also found that the medicines were procured without any prescription. Besides, the timing of the purchase is under suspicion as the drugs were procured only in November, December, January and February in 2015 and 2016. After February, no cancer medicine was procured.
Besides, giving no respite to people, who flock the government-run stores for medicines at subsidised rates, the panel purchased Bonium/Citrocium tablets—given to people with calcium and Vitamin D deficiency—for `1.25 crore. An extra expenditure of `1.13 crore was done to procure 46 lakh calcium tablets as the medicine is available in market at very low rates, observed the audit report available with The Sunday Standard. This is unjustified.
After getting complaints of dubious practices, NDMC chairman Naresh Kumar had ordered a special audit for inspection of records of 2013-2016, this year.
How Medicines are Procured?
The civic body’s Accounts and Purchase Selection Committee (APSC) prepares a list of drugs to be ordered, quantity required and at what cost the drugs will be purchased. After preparing a list, the PSC floats tender and drugs are bought at the lowest price and stored at Central Medical Store for further distribution.