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Sole chemist at GMSH-16: Chandigarh admn adds new clauses in tenders for new shops at 4 govt hospitals
The Chandigarh health department has floated tenders to rent out five new chemist shops to private firms — two at GMSH-16, and one each at the three civil hospitals in Manimajra, Sector 22 and Sector 45
Three days after it was found that the only chemist shop at Government Multi-Specialty Hospital (GMSH), Sector 16, was being operated by the same firm for the past 29 years, the UT administration on Monday added new clauses in the tenders for allotting new medical shops at city’s four government hospitals.
The UT health department has floated tenders to rent out five new chemist shops to private firms — two at GMSH-16, and one each at the three civil hospitals in Manimajra, Sector 22 and Sector 45.
As per the new clauses, the licence will be initially awarded for three years and can be extended up to five years in total or on a year to year basis up to two additional years.
Earlier, the chemist shops at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, were allotted for one year, with extensions allowed for five years in total.
Only one shop per firm
Also, no person/firm/company or any of its family members will be eligible to operate more than one shop on the campus of a particular hospital.
As per this rule, a person running a chemist shop in the hospital cannot bid for running a canteen, provisional store or any other shop there.
Minimum discount fixed
The tenders also say that the medical shop will remain open 24 hours and seven days a week. Besides, medical shops have been asked to offer a minimum 15% discount on MRP of branded medicines, minimum 30% discount on MRP of generic and branded generic medicines, and minimum 30% discount on MRP of consumables/surgical items. However, the licensee will be free to extend higher discounts than these minimum ceilings.
The changes were effected after it was found that the only chemist shop at GMSH-16 was being operated by a shopkeeper, Sunil Kumar Jain, since 1993, even though the shop was allotted to him on lease for only two years through an auction in 1993. While the first lease ended in 1995, the hospital authorities never floated a fresh tender and kept extending the lease every five years, with the latest extension occurring in 2019 – for up to 2024.
Also, while the private firms at Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, and Post Graduate Institute of Medical education and Research (PGIMER) are paying monthly rents ranging from ₹8 lakh ₹1.5 crore, the rent for the shop at GMSH-16 never crossed ₹3 lakh per month.
Minimum monthly bids fixed
With new clauses, the health department has also fixed the minimum monthly rent bid for the five new medical shops. While the amount has been fixed as ₹2 lakh for the shops at the three civil hospitals, it is ₹5 lakh and ₹7.5 lakh for the two shops at GMSH-16.
UT health secretary Yashpal Garg said, “Though the matter is being inquired, changes have been made to avoid such incidents in future. The minimum monthly rent bid has also been fixed for the five new medical shops. Firms can submit their bids from Tuesday and we are hopeful to open these shops by December this year.”
