Delhi hospitals told to centralize procurement of medicines, medical devices - Video

In a move to streamline the procurement of medicines and medical devices, the Delhi government has directed all state-run hospitals to buy consumables and medicines through the Central Procurement Agency (CPA), according to officials.

Earlier, hospitals either used to make direct purchases or used the cart feature on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal, which led to inflated prices, the officials said.

Going forward, hospitals will have to submit their demands to the CPA, which will assess the urgency of supply and coordinate the procurement process on behalf of the hospitals. Direct purchase of medicines will no longer be permitted in any government hospital, they said.

"It has come to the attention of the Minister, Health and Family Welfare, that certain hospitals and institutions have been procuring medical devices, consumables, equipment and machinery through direct purchases or by using the cart feature on the Government e-Marketplace portal," the order stated, news agency PTI reported.

"This practice has led to inflated prices, significant price discrepancies and raises serious concerns of audit non-compliance," it said.

The CPA will be responsible for the purchase of medicines, consumables, medical devices, machinery and equipment. It will carry out procurement based on the requirements submitted by hospitals, institutions and health centres across Delhi.

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Delhi hospitals told to centralize procurement of medicines, medical devices