Medicine procurement irregularities; move to set up KMSCL vigilance wing stalled

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: An official lobby is allegedly seeking to shield the medicine procurement irregularities that affect the pockets of poor patients, by stalling the formation of an internal vigilance wing at the Kerala Medical Services Corporation Limited (KMSCL). The file containing the proposal to establish the vigilance wing was handed over by Health Minister K. Muraleedharan, but some officials are yet to take a decision on it.

The vigilance wing was proposed to make medicine procurement for government hospitals more transparent, detect irregularities and initiate action. The proposal emerged at a meeting of senior Health Department officials, but attempts are allegedly being made to derail it. Several complaints regarding KMSCL's functioning were received after the UDF government came to power. These included purchasing medicines beyond requirements, irregularities in the tender process and spending Rs 19.5 lakh on membership of a tennis club.

The vigilance wing was proposed to investigate such complaints and ensure transparency in future transactions. The system is similar to internal vigilance mechanisms functioning in some other corporations and boards in the state.

Aim is to stop medicine irregularities

• One of the key objectives of the proposed vigilance wing is to prevent the purchase of substandard medicines at inflated prices. It will also seek to stop practices such as overstating the quantity of medicines purchased while submitting bills for payment.
• The mechanism will monitor the failure to maintain accurate medicine stocks and attempts to create artificial shortages, and initiate action where necessary.
• Delaying payment of bills and clearing the bills of favoured parties early are also among the practices the proposed vigilance system is intended to prevent.

Police officer, experts among members

The proposed vigilance mechanism will include a police officer, a biomedical engineer, the chief pharmacist of the In-House Drug Bank at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College and an official from the Health Department. The In-House Drug Bank at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College sells medicines at some of the lowest prices in the state.