The North News
Shimla, February 4
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has directed health department officials to prepare a new “Essential Drugs” list to ensure the availability of quality medicines for patients in government health institutions.
Presiding over a review meeting of the department on Tuesday evening, Sukhu said the new list would be reviewed by a high-powered committee.
“Moving toward direct procurement from manufacturers is not merely a cost-cutting measure, but a strategic move to eliminate middleman-related delays and ensure a more transparent supply chain. By bypassing intermediaries, the state aims to secure a consistent inventory of life-saving drugs for which necessary provisions will be made,” he said at the meeting.
The chief minister also said the mechanism for sampling and quality testing of the medicines supplied to government health institutions should be strengthened. “For this, a dedicated cell will be established in each medical college in the state and the state government will provide adequate staff, training and the required equipment. In the first phase, such cells would be set up at the IGMC-Shimla and Dr RPGMC-Tanda,” he said.
Sukhu asked the officials to ensure strict quality checks of the medicines manufactured by pharmaceutical companies in the state. He further instructed the officers to strictly enforce the provisions of Schedule-M of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945.
He reiterated that no compromise would be made with patients’ health.
