Delhi Assembly discusses medicine shortage, health minister says cases to be filed against officers

New Delhi, Apr 8 (PTI) Cases will be registered against the chief secretary and the health secretary over the shortage of medicines in Delhi government hospitals and dispensaries, Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Monday said in the assembly.

The issues of medicine shortage in Delhi government hospitals and dispensaries and the stoppage of free diagnostic tests at mohalla clinics by “some officers concerned” were raised by AAP MLA Rajendra Pal Gautam through a calling attention motion under Rule 54. Bharadwaj submitted two reports, including one from the chief secretary and the health secretary, saying they gave in writing that medicines were available in hosptials and mohalla clinics and those unavailable were substituted.

The other report was based on the feedback of MLAs, news reports and his own inquiries, the minister said

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He alleged that the Central Procurement Agency (CPA) tender of 2023 was not finalised despite the availability of bids under a “premeditated conspiracy”. Medicines for government hospitals, dispensaries and mohalla clinics are procured through the CPA, he said.

The health minister said the issues of medicine shortage and stopping of tests at mohalla clinics came to light in January. He wrote to the chief secretary for details and action on February 12, and again on March 4 and March 18 but nothing happened.

There are alternative methods of medicine procurement through local purchase or contract rate purchase by the hospitals but the medical superintendents and the medical directors informed in meetings held on March 1 and March 11 that it was made “impossible” due to circulars issued by the Health department, said the minister.

“So, it was a pre-planned conspiracy to stop medicine supplies by obstructing the CPA tender. What will (Chief Minister) Arvind Kejriwal or Saurabh Bharadwaj do if medicines itself are not available at the hospitals and dispensaries?” he said in the House.

Training his guns at Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena, Bharadwaj said he wrote to him repeatedly and pointed out that the chief secretary and the health secretary were “misleading me and the Delhi government” by “hiding” the shortage of medicines and sought action against them but no action was taken. Lakhs of people depend on government hospitals, dispensaries and mohalla clinics for medicines, including those for serious ailments, Bharadwaj said and sought to know from the House if criminal prosecution should not be initiated if someone dies or falls gravely ill due to a lack of medicines.

“We will not sit quietly, we will register cases. I will register a case against the chief secretary and the health secretary for this. We will not let it go like this,” said the health minister.

Several AAP MLAs, including Gautam, Sanjeev Jha, Rakhi Birla and Mahender Goel raised the issue of unavailability of medicines in hospitals and mohalla clinics.