Non-implementation of procurement calendar: Health dept’s warning to 12 govt teaching hospitals

LAHORE:The Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department (SHC&MED) has expressed strong anger and displeasure against the Medical Superintendents (MSs), medical directors and heads of 12 government teaching hospitals of Punjab for not implementing the annual procurement calendar for the year 2024-25.

In this regard, the Department of Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education has issued a letter. The Department of Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education had issued the annual procurement calendar on December 24, 2021, to ensure the completion of the procurement process in government hospitals and uninterrupted supply of medicines and medical equipment. A letter of displeasure has been written to government teaching hospitals for not implementing the annual procurement calendar.

According to the details, a letter of displeasure has been written to the MS, medical directors and heads of Government Teaching Hospital Shahdara, Jinnah Burn Centre and Research Centre, Lady Aitchison Hospital Lahore, SFMB Institute of Cardiology DG Khan, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital Lahore, Gujranwala Medical College Hospital, Children's Hospital Faisalabad, Mayo Cancer Care Hospital Lahore, Jinnah Hospital Lahore, Pak Italian Burn Centre Multan, Sahiwal Teaching Hospital and Government Mian Munshi Teaching Hospital Lahore. All government teaching hospitals have been directed to ensure 100 percent implementation of the annual procurement calendar. The government teaching hospitals that do not implement 100 percent of the annual procurement calendar for the year 2024-25 will be responsible for this serious negligence, the letter said.

Meanwhile, the Department of Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education has sought a report from the MSs of six teaching government hospitals of Punjab within the next 24 hours regarding the non functionality of ventilators in ICUs.

The Health Department has issued a letter in this regard. A BME portal has been established in the Department of Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education to assist the development and procurement departments of government hospitals.

As per the orders, all government teaching hospitals register their data on this online portal on a daily basis. According to the details, the Chief Operating Officer of Mayo Hospital has been asked to respond to the inactivity of 42 out of 170 ventilators in the ICU, 25 out of 34 ventilators in the ICU from MS Allama Iqbal Memorial Hospital Sialkot, 20 out of 71 ventilators in the ICU from MS Holy Family Hospital Rawalpindi, 47 out of 129 ventilators in the ICU from MS General Hospital Lahore, 46 out of 99 ventilators in the ICU from MS Services Hospital Lahore and 4 out of 42 ventilators in the ICU from MS Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology. All MSs have been ordered to activate all the inoperative ventilators within the next 24 hours and submit a report.