Need for good supply of drugs in healthcare

In my view, the present unique in the world system of INDISCRIMINATE or EQUITABLE supply of drugs, needs to be reviewed by the Government as the drug bill is on an incessant upward trend, and the delivery programme is intricate, complex and complicated and ridden with corrupt and shady practices. Inbuilt and interwoven malpractices and poor drug   management   has reached colossal heights with very little scope for remedial action and ideal options.

It is desirable to evolve a completely new system which should, while not disturbing the recognized and declared policy of the Government, embedded in the established vision and mission of the Ministry for Health,   allow  for  discrimination of the end user community segregating  those who are needy and those who are affluent, with well mapped out and designed demarcations subject to periodic review and monitoring, as no welfare programme on earth could ever be considered perfect and fool proof. Basics have to be determined on an assessment of those who, under any circumstances, cannot be reckoned as eligible beneficiaries of a hundred percent free health service, and should be excluded from the present system; leaving those who cannot or ill afford medical facilities at a price, within the fold. The mechanism, in essence, will involve a grassroot level identification of the needy and those responsible for assessment will naturally be “not above board” levels of administration. Despite many a drawback and snags, the scheme can emerge, stand out  and prove as a much better, satisfactory, acceptable and practicable alternative to the present system, with ever souring drug bills eroding the national exchequer  and poor patients being disappointed when the drugs they need are not available entailing nerve racking burdens for the authorities.

It should, however, be ensured that the cost of the proposed arrangement does not outweigh the benefits sought to be underwritten. Having decided on a policy framework, logistics need to be carefully concentrated on, so that the benefits of the new scheme reach the beneficiaries without interruption and disruption and waste and malpractices are minimised. These objectives will be easier to achieve as the span of concentration will tend to reduce substantially.

W. GAMINI EPA