Essential drugs available in adequate stock in govt hospitals: Ma Su
These medicines are procured every year by determining its quality and specifying the required quantity
Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation
CHENNAI: Responding to the allegations of the leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami about inadequate supply of essential drugs to the government hospitals, health minister said that the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation has procured 313 essential drugs and all the drugs are in adequate stock.
The minister said that the Tamil Nadu Medical Service Corporation had also issued a report on the availability of drugs in Tamil Nadu but the opposition leader has issued the statement without considering it.
Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation (TNMSC) procures 313 essential medicines every year. 234 types of medical and surgical equipments, 326 special medicines and 7 blood coagulation medicines have all been procured and continuously distributed.
These medicines are procured every year by determining its quality and specifying the required quantity. There are drug warehouses in 32 districts of Tamil Nadu. Medicines worth Rs 326.92 crore have been procured through drug warehouses in these 32 districts.
He added that the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu has allocated Rs 30 crore for setting up drug warehouses in the six new districts. The procured medicines have been distributed to all the hospitals as per their requirement and the medicines currently in stock amount to Rs 240.99 crores.
Responding to the allegations of poor medical facilities in the State, the minister said that the Tamil Nadu Health Department has received various awards for the past one year and 310 National Quality Assurance Scheme (NQAS) certificates have been issued, which was only 549 since 2013. There have been 45 LaQshya - Labor Room and Quality Improvement Initiative, while it was 79 in six years before that.
Talking about the vacancies of the healthcare workers, he said that 1,021 doctors, 986 pharmacists, 1,066 health inspectors, and 2,222 Village Health Nurses are being recruited by Medical Recruitment Board and their certification verification has been completed.