New Delhi: The Delhi government, like most other governments has an essential list of medicines, which are procured by the city-state’s health ministry.
This list – called the Essential Medicine List (EML) – has 806 drugs and 1,520 formulations, a number that is matched only by the World Health Organisation, which has a list of 811 drugs and 1,288 formulations.
India’s EML is just over half that number, with 497 drugs and 958 formulations on listen for the procurement agencies to obtain.
Last updated in 2013, the Delhi government’s EML is under scrutiny now as the national capital is reportedly suffering a severe shortage of medicines and consumables at government hospitals and dispensaries.
According to a Times of India report, the list has not been reviewed since 2016, with new drugs and medicines being added to the EML.
Ideally, any additions to the EML have to be reviewed by a committee that assesses requirements, availability of drugs in markets, new additions and old medicines that become redundant, before the list is used by the Central Procurement Agency (CPA).
Earlier this week, Delhi’s Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that the tender floated by CPA to procure medicines for hospitals, dispensaries and mohalla clinics had not been finalised under a “premeditated conspiracy.”
Times of India’s sources, however, have said that the Health Minister was apprised of the situation and that all essential medicines were available. Bharadwaj was informed of this during a meeting with the chief secretary, senior officials of health department and directorate of health services.
The size of the national capital’s list is only making the procurement process more complex, with quality assurance, storage and availability all affected by the outdated list.
Delhi’s government, however, has said the availability of medicines at its hospitals was always measured by how many from EML were actually available.
“The Chief Secretary knows that a substantial number of medicines in EML are not available. To hide this, CS is planning to reduce the number of medicines in EML. This will help them in hiding the shortage of medicines by changing the reference point,” the TOI report said, quoting the Delhi governemnt.
The Aam Aadmi Party government further added that a false report was provided to Health Minister Bharadwaj, which had failed to convince him.
“After being exposed in [the] Assembly, CS and health secretary are trying to make new excuses. Central government’s Jan Aushadhi Kendras sell medicines to poor patients for money. Is CS trying to stop free medicines? Why are patients being forced to buy medicines from these stores when they are given medicines free by Delhi government?” the statement added.
