Ensure timely supply of drugs to govt hospitals: FC Fin to JKMSCL

Jammu: Financial Commissioner Finance, Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta, today stressed on the officers of Jammu & Kashmir Medical Supplies Corporation (JKMSCL) to ensure timely supply of all the drugs in government hospitals so that people do not face any problem on this account.
FC issued these directions while chairing the 6th Finance Committee meeting of the Corporation.
Financial Commissioner Health & Medical Education Department, Atal Dulloo, Director Budget, Mohammad Yaqoob Itoo,  Managing Director, JKMSCL, Shiv Kumar Gupta and other officers of Finance and Health departments were present in the meeting.
Dr. Mehta enjoined upon the officers to complete the tendering process well ahead of time so that the requisite supplies are received before the exhaustion of previous stock. He further asked the officers to bring improvement in contract management and its effective implementation on ground.
The committee took notice of the action taken report on the decisions of 5th Finance committee meeting held on 30th May last year and confirmed its minutes also.
It was informed that the business of the Corporation has substantially increased from Rs 7029.5 lakh in 2016-17 to Rs 9615.65 lakh in 2019-20.
The meeting also discussed the proposed construction of new Corporate office of JKMSCL coming up at a cost of Rs 2306 lakh besides that of Drug warehouse, ISM Jammu at Nagrota.
The committee further considered the revised budget estimates amounting Rs 670.60 lakh for the financial year 2019-20 and proposed budget estimates for the fiscal 2020-21. It considered an amendment in the Standard Procurement Procedure Manual of JKMSCL so that it is brought at par with other Corporations at the national level.
The meeting also discussed engagement of new manpower through the Government of India’s GeM portal. It also considered provision for plan assistance to the Corporation through government for viability gap funding.
The other issues came up for discussion during the meeting included waiving off penalty charges on delayed supplies to many traders, Imprest powers to the tune of Rs 25000 in wake of exigencies to ISM Drug Warehouse officials, hiring of accommodation for the Corporation office through tendering or Estates department, and engagement of 2 bio-medical engineers on the analogy of Tamilnadu Medical Supplies Corporation Limited.
Pertinent to mention here that the mandate of Finance Committee of JKMSCL is to consider and place proposals related to financial matters of the Corporation before the Board of Directors for its final approval.