Financial bids for a new pharmacy at Government Multi Speciality Hospital (GMSH) were opened on Monday, with the highest bid touching ₹17.21 lakh per month, which is around seven times more than the rent paid by the oldest chemist shop, which just pays ₹2.5 lakh for almost double the area.
The new pharmacy will be the third private drugstore at the hospital. At present, only Shop 6, which was allotted 29 years ago, is functioning. The second pharmacy (Shop 7) was recently allotted to a firm for a monthly rent of ₹17.01 lakh, and is expected to start in the next few days. A Jan Aushadhi shop is also being run on the hospital premises.
UT health secretary Yashpal Garg said, “The bids indicate that the only chemist shop on the premises was earning a profit of ₹34 lakh per month as it had been paying minimal rent for 29 years as fresh tenders were not being floated. This amount will now come to the government’s pocket. Besides, earlier patients had to stand in long queues at the only chemist shop on the premises.”