Ludhiana, June 11
The Brown Memorial Hospital Employees Union has criticised the management of the Christian Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) for introducing a single supplier system for drugs to the in-house pharmacy.
The general secretary of the union, Mr B.M. Frederick, alleged that Dr John Abhram, Medical Superintendent of the CMCH, had reportedly issued verbal orders to the pharmacy department to place a purchase order for drugs and medicines with a single supplier. The pharmacy had been instructed that all previous orders, which were placed with other suppliers but not executed, should be cancelled, and fresh orders be placed under the single supplier system.
“This move of the management is wrong and against the policies of purchase of drugs in the hospital. The current purchase policy says that drugs should be bought from authorised hospital suppliers, designated by drugs companies to ensure the quality of drugs and other formulations,” he said.
Mr Frederic said no single supplier was authorised by major companies and the single supplier, retained by the CMCH, would have to procure the drugs from open market. Also the single supplier system being incompetitive might cost the hospital more.
The union has demanded that the single supplier system must be scrapped and the previous system be restored.
