BMC announces ‘zero prescription policy’ in its hospitals

The BMC in Mumbai has announced a 'zero prescription policy' that will allow patients to obtain all necessary medicines from civic hospitals, eliminating the need to purchase them from outside drug stores. The BMC's central purchase department has expanded its list of procured items from 1,000 to 4,000, covering medicines, drugs, and surgical items. The move comes after an inquiry into the artificial shortage of medicines at BMC-run hospitals, which forced patients to buy them externally. The BMC aims to become the first municipal corporation in India to implement such a policy.

STRAP: HT was the first to highlight the artificial shortage of medicines at BMC-run hospitals, forcing patients to procure them from outside

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MUMBAI: The BMC on Thursday announced a ‘zero prescription policy’, which means that patients will not have to purchase a single medicine from drug stores outside civic hospitals. To implement the policy, the BMC’s central purchase department (CPD) has increased its ambit of medicines and medicinal purchases from the existing list of 1,000 items (medicines and surgical items) to 4,000 items, and asked its hospitals to submit their requirements for the department to begin the purchasing process. The 4,000 items include medicines, drugs and surgery articles.

The policy announcement was made by chief minister Eknath Shinde during his visit to KEM Hospital. The BMC said it would be the first municipal corporation in the country to implement this policy.

HT on May 10 had reported on artificial shortage of medicines across BMC-run hospitals, after which the state had initiated a high-level inquiry into the procurement of medicines. The BMC had also announced a revamp in the procurement process.

Additional municipal commissioner Dr Sudhakar Shinde, who has been working on streamlining the medicine purchase system and holding a series of meetings with the CPD since July, said that the increased number of procured items—from 1,000 to 4,000—would take care of most of the prescriptions which patients at BMC-run hospitals hitherto had to buy from outside. CPD officials said the hospitals had been asked to send their requirements within a month, after which the CPD would purchase the medicines within a month and roll out the policy.

HT’s report on May 10 had highlighted the artificial shortage of medicines at BMC-run hospitals which, in turn, forced patients to buy medicines, gloves, saline, medical dressing material and so on from outside. While contractors claimed the CPD had not floated tenders for bulk purchase for three years, BMC officials said they opted for purchasing medicines locally to break the contractors’ monopoly.

However, when HT visited some hospitals, it found that relatives of patients were spending heavily on buying medicines. A CAG report titled ‘Public Health Infrastructure of Health Services in Maharashtra’ from 2019-20 to 2021-22 also stated that there was a delay in finalisation of the rate contract for different schedules of medicines for a period ranging from four months to 35 months.

Vijay Balamwar, joint commissioner, CPD, said that during the four months of inquiry, it was found that local purchase of supplies by the hospitals cost seven to eight times more than what could be procured at bulk rates. “CPD spent around ₹170 crore in the last two years for procurement whereas hospitals spent around ₹1,300 crore,” he said. “Despite high expenditures, patients were prescribed medicines from outside, which was costing citizens around ₹600 crore.” Balamwar added that during the series of meetings with Dr Shinde, it was discussed that the prescription business in BMC-run hospitals should end.

After HT’s report on May 10, the BMC deputy municipal commissioner (public health), in a meeting on May 10, directed health officials, including hospital deans, to ensure that there was no shortfall of medicines and medical supplies at the facilities.

Subsequently, on August 4, the state announced a high-level inquiry into the procurement of medicines and equipment by civic hospitals. “BMC hospitals ask patients to bring medicines from outside,” said industries minister Uday Samant in the assembly. “They also ask them to get their medical tests done in private hospitals and laboratories. Considering this, medicines that are procured by the hospitals and the facilities they are providing require a detailed probe.” Samant also announced a white paper on the services provided by five BMC hospitals.

The municipal corporation has four medical colleges, one dental college, 16 peripheral hospitals, five special hospitals, 30 maternity hospitals and 192 dispensaries along with 202 Aapla Dawakhanas. On average, more than 50,000 patients benefit from civic hospitals’ OPDs departments every day and 20 lakh patients in the in-patient department yearly.