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Punjab: No medicines in rural dispensaries for 20 days as finance dept fails to clear bills
Finance dept failed to clear ₹50 lakh bill; medicines not supplied despite minister’s assurance on Oct 22 that the department was making a purchase of ₹2.5 crore
The state’s precarious financial position is casting its shadow on health services. Around 1,200 rural dispensaries that the rural development and panchayati raj department runs have been without any of the 56 medicines that it provides for 20 days.
These dispensaries cater to around 1.2 crore of the state’s population and with the winter at its peak, the lack of supply is hurting the population, especially poor children, who are coming down with fevers.
Rural development and panchayati raj department director Jaskaran Singh admitted to the non-availability of medicines. HT has learnt that the state finance department had delayed the passing of bills of around ₹50 lakh.
“The bills for quarterly supply that we submitted last month were delayed. Hence, we could not purchase medicines for supply to our dispensaries. We hope to resume supply shortly,” he said. Another senior official of the department confirmed that the finance department could not give sanction as it did not have enough funds.
Dept couldn’t clear ₹20 cr dues of PHSC
With the finance department failing to give sanction to the rural development department, the Punjab Health Systems Corporation (PHSC) refused to supply to the department, in August, as it had ran up dues of ₹20 crore.
Usually, the PHSC makes purchases for medicines for dispensaries and hospitals that the state health and family welfare department runs. Then, the department approached a Central undertaking, the Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI), which asked for payment in advance, something that the department failed to do.
On October 22, rural development and panchayati raj minister Tript Rajinder Bajwa had claimed, by issuing a press release that ₹2.5 crore were being earmarked to purchase medicines, claiming that there would be no shortage thereon. The present status, however, continues to be that there is no official medicine supply at rural dispensaries.
The dispensaries are trying to be of help to patients in whatever way they can. Rural Medical Services Association (RMSA) Punjab president Dr Aslam Parvez said the dispensaries had been going without medicines since the PHSC refused to provide supply.
“At many places, we are buying and supplying medicines from our own or by involving NGOs, village panchayats or businessmen who want to donate. We are also using medicines available with community health centres and health and wellness centres,” he added.
