Delhi Health Department Urges Action on Rs 90-Cr Dues to Drug Suppliers

The Delhi health department is under pressure to address the issue of pending payments totaling Rs 90 crore to pharmaceutical drug suppliers. Despite directives issued 45 days ago, no significant action has been taken yet.

SK Jain, the special secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Department, has directed the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and the Central Procurement Agency (CPA) to expedite the processing of payment files from medicine suppliers. This directive comes after a report highlighted the impact of delayed payments on medicine supply.

Jain emphasized that the pending files must be processed promptly, except those blacklisted. Failure to address this issue could severely affect medicine procurement in the current financial year.

The letter issued by Jain also calls for a submission of pending files along with reasons for non-payment within three days. This will enable the initiation of appropriate action against defaulting officers.

The delay in payment has resulted in a significant portion of the budget remaining unutilized in the previous financial year, leading to potential procurement challenges in the current fiscal year. An official from the Central Procurement Agency revealed that nearly Rs 84 crore of the budget has lapsed, exacerbating the financial strain on suppliers awaiting payment.