Minister Announces Progress On Medicine Procurement, Availability Across Hospitals

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Nov, 2024) Punjab Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare (P&SHD) Khawaja Imran Nazir has announced that the P&SHD is actively procuring medicines at the district level through District Health Authorities (DHAs) via bulk purchasing, which covers approximately 70 per cent of the total allocated budget.

In a statement issued here on Thursday, he said that the remaining 30 per cent is allocated to the Director General Health Services (DGHS) for top-up medicine supplies.

Khawaja Imran reported that DHAs have already completed about 75 per cent of their procurement for the fiscal year 2024-25, with orders placed and supplies being received. Once supplies arrive, they are immediately sent to the Drug Testing Laboratory (DTL) to ensure quality. The remaining 25 per cent of DHA-level procurement is underway and expected to conclude within the next two months. DGHS has also finalized its top-up medicine procurement, with supplies being received at the Medical Store Depot (MSD).

The minister assured that Punjab has an adequate stock of medicines in all districts, with P&SHD continuously tracking availability through the Medicine Inventory Management System (MIMS). Currently, medicines worth Rs 12.5 billion are stocked across healthcare facilities under P&SHD’s administration.

Highlighting specific hospitals, he shared the current medicine availability in several District Headquarters (DHQ) hospitals. Government Shahbaz Sharif DHQ Hospital, Multan City, stands at 86 per cent availability, DHQ Hospital Chakwal at 85 per cent , Baba Bulleh Shah Hospital in Kasur at 65 per cent , and DHQ Hospital Layyah at 64 per cent. Other facilities range from 40 to 60 per cent, with 15 DHQs having over 70 per cent medicine availability, 11 DHQs with more than 50 per cent, and 6 DHQs with less than 50 per cent. Efforts are underway to address gaps through DGHS top-up supplies and local procurement.

For Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) hospitals, over 100 out of 131 facilities have more than 60 per cent medicine availability. The Provincial Health Minister noted that these gaps are being addressed by DGHS top-up and local procurement, with facilities like THQ Safdarabad in Sheikhupura at 84 per cent, THQ Kala Bagh in Mianwali at 76 per cent, and THQ Ferozewala in Sheikhupura at 72 per cent.

The minister assured the public that provincial and district offices are making continuous efforts to ensure timely procurement and delivery with suppliers, maintaining an uninterrupted supply of essential medicines for patients across Punjab.