SHILLONG: The CAG report has revealed that the National Rural Health Mission, Meghalaya procured medicines without requirement and coordination with Directorate of Health Services (Medical Institutions) which led to medicines worth Rs 4.03 crore losing their shelf life due to over stocking.
The scrutiny of records of the Joint Mission Director, NRHM Meghalaya by CAG revealed during the year 2010-11 to 2012-13 it had procured medicines worth Rs 16.65 crore for distribution to various hospitals, CHCs and PHCs in the state and these medicines were procured without properly ascertaining the requirement from these hospitals. As a result, the NRHM Director did not receive any indent from medical institutions and consequently medicines valuing Rs 4.03 crore lost their shelf life due to over stocking.
An analysis of the reasons for the expiry of the medicines revealed that NRHM, Shillong does not have any system of maintaining minimum stock of medicines for emergency purposes. It issues medicines on the basis of indent received from medical institutions. No records were produced to audit to indicate the method of assessing the quantum of medicines that may be required by the medical institutions during the year.
Even the medical institutions refused to take the medicines or collected less quantity citing reasons that the medicines were not indented by them.
An examination of records of 10 different medicines showed that medicines valuing Rs 11.62 crore were procured during March 2011 and March 2012. Out of these medicines valuing Rs 8.72 crore were supplied to the MI while medicines worth Rs 2.90 crore lost their shelf life.
The audit also noticed during the period under scrutiny that 20,12,500 capsules of Cap Zy 10 forte meant for treatment of male fertility costing Rs 7.14 crore were procured for distribution to beneficiaries and out of this, medicines costing Rs 21.66 lakh lost shelf life.
The matter was reported to the State Government in September 2014 and the reply was still awaited as on February 2015.
