BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Government has asked district Collectors to monitor and ensure proper implementation of Niramaya scheme under which free medicines are being distributed to patients in State-run hospitals.
Health Secretary Dr Pramod Kumar Meherda, in a letter to Collectors, Chief District Medical Officers (CDMOs), superintendents of medical colleges and hospitals and Director of Acharya Harihar Regional Cancer Centre, urged them to visit health centres regularly and get patient feedback on the availability of medicines and prescription.
“Collectors have an important role in giving a direction to the scheme so that its implementation is made properly and health facilities maintain adequate stock of medicines,” the letter read.
Odisha State Medical Corporation has implemented a new software which will enable availability of real time data on consumption tracking and stock information at district level, drug warehouse and block level.
Since a guideline has been issued asking doctors to prescribe medicines in their generic names and not as per brand name, medical officers at different levels have been directed to monitor the prescriptions and process for providing indent of medicines under close supervision of CDMOs.
“Medical officers at CHC level and ADMOs at district level will properly and timely supervise indent of drugs in appropriate quantities. Officials will also check storage of drugs in the warehouse, sub-stores and drug distribution counters,” Dr Meherda said and added that cooperation, coordination and commitment of all implementing agencies will help bring down out-of-pocket expenditure of patients on medicine.
Launched in 2015, the flagship programme of the State Government, Niramaya is aimed at providing free essential medicines to both out and in-patients coming to public health facilities. So far, 1.3 crore patients have benefited under the scheme.
Though the number of patients availing benefits of the scheme is increasing, improvement in monitoring and supervision at various levels is required so that no patient is left without medicine in State-run hospitals. The State Government has fixed a budget of `250 crore for the scheme in the current fiscal. While 80 per cent of the procurement will be done centrally through the State medical corporation, rest 20 per cent will be done locally as per need.