ISLAMABAD: Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan on Thursday informed the National Assembly said that National Health Card Scheme would soon be resumed adding that currently the issue was being examined with State Life Insurance Company (SLIC)
Replying to various supplementary questions during Question Hour, the minister said that the incumbent government did not stop any people welfare initiative of past governments.
He said during year 2018 to 2022, increase in prices of medicines was made annually linked with Consumer Price Index (CPI) and under hardship category in accordance with provisions of the Drug Pricing Policy-2018 approved by the Federal Government in May, 2018.
He said that the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) followed a structured and transparent procurement process for all drugs, medicines, and surgical disposable items, strictly adhering to the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules.
The procurement was component-specific, allocated according to the budgets of various hospital sections, including Islamabad Hospital (IH), Children’s Hospital (CH), Mother & Child Hospital (MCH), Cardiac Care Center (CC), and Burn Care Center (BCC), he said.
He said all routine and life-saving medicines were supplied according to the hospital’s formulary to all components. If any life-saving drugs or medicines were prescribed outside of the hospital formulary, they were also provided to the Emergency & Accident Center (EAC) and admitted patients through local purchase, he added.
The minister said all medicines and surgical disposable items were managed using a computerized inventory management system (HMIS), which ensured that these items were received and issued in compliance with the approved tender specifications, enhancing transparency and accountability. However, it was acknowledged that there had been a decrease in the availability of certain medicines in the hospital formulary over time due to budgetary constraints, he said.
He said despite these limitations, PIMS remains committed to ensuring the availability of essential medical supplies to meet the needs of all its patients.
Jam Kamal said that no incidents of theft of essential equipment or irregularities in employee appointments and promotions have been recorded in the recent past at PIMS. However, an irregularity was previously identified concerning the “Establishment of the Unit of Shredding, Sterilization, and Disposal of Medical Waste, he said and added that “Following the detection of this irregularity, an initial inquiry was conducted and the findings were presented before the Departmental Accounts Committee (DAC).
The DAC, however, found the inquiry report unsatisfactory and directed that a fresh inquiry be undertaken to ensure a comprehensive and impartial investigation, he said.
He said the new inquiry was currently underway and is expected to be completed within four weeks. There was an oversight mechanism in place to monitor the cafeterias’ supply chain and ensure the quality of food provided to the public at PIMS, Islamabad, he added.
He said a Monitoring Committee was constituted on March 11, 2024, specifically to oversee the operations of the cafeteria and food services. The committee’s mandate includes regular inspections of food quality, hygiene practices, and adherence to the approved terms and conditions outlined in the contract with food suppliers, he added.
The minister said the financial audits for the budgets assigned to the PIMS for the fiscal years 2022-23 have been recently completed, and a comprehensive audit report has been issued. The audit was conducted in accordance with standard financial practices to ensure full compliance with governmental regulations, transparency, and accountability in the utilization of allocated funds, he added.
He said the report did not identify any direct evidence or indications of individual involvement in corruption. However, the audit findings would be thoroughly reviewed in upcoming meetings of the Departmental Accounts Committee (DAC) and the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), he said.
To a separate question, Jam Kamal told that House that the government has taken notice of the shortage of medicines etc. and has allocated additional funds to the National Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine (NIRM) to the tune of Rs. 20 Million on 29-04-2024 in the budget head A03927-Purchase of Drugs/Medicines.
Due to shortage of funds at NIRM during the last financial year 2023-24 the required quantity of drugs medicines essential instruments for use in OT could not be procured which resulted in increase in waiting time for surgeries, he added.
He said total funds allocated for the year 2023-24 in the budget head A03927-Purchase of Drugs/Medicines were Rs. 20.9 Million and it was utilized in lst & 2nd quarter of FY 2023-24. An additional amount of Rs. 20 Million was granted in this budget head, he added. He said the Ministry has allocated sufficient funds for the financial year 2024-25 i.e. Rs. 39,050,000 in the budget head of purchase of drugs/medicine which will enhance the service delivery of NIRM.
