Delhi hospitals told to centralize procurement of medicines, medical devices

New Delhi: 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.

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"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.

This decision has been taken to allow doctors and medical staff to focus their time and energy on patient care instead of administrative processes. As a result, patients will receive better and more dedicated healthcare services, the officials said, reports PTI.

Any violation of these directions will be taken seriously and appropriate action will be taken by the concerned authority, they said.

It must be ensured that all procedures are carried out strictly in accordance with the established rules so that transparency and accountability in the system are maintained.

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