Health centres in State lack medicines: CAG

SHILLONG: Most of the district hospitals, community and primary health centres do not have medicines on the State Essential Drug List, said a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General.
The CAG stated that during 2011-16, 13-37 per cent of the drugs were available while 63-87 per cent were not available in district hospitals.
In community health centres, only 15-36 per cent of the drugs were available and in   primary centres, the availability is between 16 and 57 per cent during the same period of time.
“While there was excess procurement leading to expiry of drugs, there was extra expenditure on purchase of drugs and at the same time drugs listed in the State Essential Drug List were not available at the health facilities,” the CAG report added.
In response, the Health secretary said in December 2016 that supply of drugs in the State were overlooked in the previous years and the government has taken a conscious decision to form a joint procurement committee in March 2015 to plug the loopholes.