Thiruvananthapuram,27 Sept (H.S.): Kerala will begin tenders for next year’s medicine purchases in October under a revised procurement system aimed at improving supplies to government hospitals, Health and Devaswom Minister K Muraleedharan said.

The direction to Kerala Medical Services Corporation Limited (KMSCL) came at a review meeting held amid reports of medicine shortages across the state. Muraleedharan asked the corporation to complete the tenders by December so that medicines can be made available by February.

Pharmaceutical companies will be allowed to bid directly, while middlemen will be excluded. Authorised direct agencies may take part in tenders for imported medicines. The minister also directed KMSCL to keep intermediaries off its premises and prevent them from receiving any form of gratification.

Companies supplying medicines to government facilities in at least two states will be eligible to participate in Kerala’s procurement process, the minister’s office said. Firms quoting exorbitant prices will be excluded, while any company that supplies a substandard batch will be permanently blacklisted.

Muraleedharan instructed KMSCL to buy medicines at prices below those paid by the in-house drug bank at Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram. The drug bank currently obtains branded medicines at what the minister’s office described as the lowest rates in the state. KMSCL must also publish its annual procurement prices on its website.

During the review, officials noted that several companies issued purchase orders by KMSCL in February manufacture certain medicines exclusively for the corporation.

The KMSCL general manager told the meeting that essential medicines, including fever treatments and antibiotics, were available in hospital stocks. Supplies covered by purchase orders already issued were expected to arrive by the end of the week.

Muraleedharan said the changes were part of a wider overhaul of KMSCL intended to ensure a steady supply of quality medicines. He said the results would become visible in the coming days.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman