Delay in tender renewal hits availability of subsidised medicines at KGMU

With new subsidised pharmacies announced for King George’s Medical University (KGMU) just two weeks ago, the existing medicine counters are already struggling with stock shortages and an overwhelming patient load. Patients report being placed on waiting lists up to four to five days long before receiving their prescribed medicines at subsidised rates.

This has come to pass as the KGMU authorities failed to secure new tenders and renew the pre-existing ones with enough planning or consideration for the gap it might create towards the end of the contract term or immediately after.

“The fresh orders were placed on Wednesday,” revealed Dr KK Singh, a spokesperson for KGMU, speaking to HT. Meanwhile, 60% of the tenders for various medicines concluded in March. He had earlier stated that all of these tenders would be secured and complete by April. While the old list of medicines and equipment included 2000 items, the new list includes 3500. “1500 new medicines will be available at medicine counters, which were not available before, although doctors prescribed them,” he said.

However, patients have been feeling the brunt of lack of adequate medicines at subsidised counters consistently, which is a problem KGMU hopes to solve with a new and more expansive set of medicines to offer at the HRF counters, shared Dr KK Singh, media cell head. Now however, due to supply of certain medicines have thinned out, this issue has been exacerbated since last month.

These pharmacies in question are the ones that operate under the hospital’s Hospital Revolving Fund (HRF), offering around 2,000 medicines and surgical items at discounts ranging from 30% to 70%, according to KGMU PRO Dr Sudhir Singh. Currently, there are 17 such counters on campus, with five more planned—though a launch date is yet to be confirmed.

However, many of these pharmacies are running out of stock and are waiting for tender renewals from manufacturing and supplying companies, or are having to turn patients away as they do not stock the medicines being prescribed by the doctors. These were due in April.

As a result, patients are frequently asked to return after several days to check if their prescribed medicines are available. These subsidised counters remain the only source for affordable medications on campus.

The medicine counter at Lari Cardiology Centre of KGMU nearly always has a waiting list, along with a couple others, which stocked medicines for patients from other departments as well, including ophthalmology, cardiovascular and cardiothoracic surgery among others. There is nearly always a winding line at the HRF medicine counters at Lari as well as the Trauma Centre, which sees a large majority of the patient rush takes place at night.

Delays in finalising new and renewing old tenders for medicines and surgical items are not only affecting patient access to subsidised drugs but are also stalling the establishment of new counters. Additionally, it has halted another promised facility announced early last year—bedside medicine delivery for critical patients.