Cong alleges medicine scam in GMC

PANJIM: Alleging a major scam in the purchase of medicines by the Goa Medical College, the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee has demanded immediate sacking of Health Minister Vishwajit Rane and suspension of dean Dr Shivanand Bandekar.

The Congress has also demanded a judicial inquiry into the medicine purchase by the GMC.

Goa Medical College (GMC) been providing free medicines to the people of Goa for last so many years. This is in line with an objective to make the essential medicines accessible and affordable to the poor people in the country, the party said.

Addressing press conference, GPCC president Girish Chodankar alleged that GMC earlier procured these medicines through a very stringent online all-India level tendering process.

“This rigorous tender process ensures a thorough technical and financial evaluation by Drug Purchase Committee (DPC) and allows only best companies and their authorised distributors to participate in the tender,” he said.

Chodankar said the tender process for 2014 -2015 and 2016 -2017 (Non–NLEM were well supported by more than 20 Goan distributors along with few from outside the State.

He added that short tender process was allowed for only those medicines not covered under the above main tenders and local purchase to meet emergency situations for drug or surgical item not in stock in GMC.

However, he alleged, when the 2014 – 15 (NLEM) tender got outdated, Goa Health Minister accommodated a private party in GMC “Wellness Forever” through a tweaked tender process and instructed GMC officials to make sure that supply of medicines through a local purchase process should be done only through Wellness Forever.

“Health Minister along with dean and his team tried their best to manipulate the terms and conditions to disqualify all the Goan distributors in the new tender. Goan distributors objected to the above ill intentions of the Health Minister,” he claimed.

Despite this, he said, the combined new tender (NLEM + Non NLEM) was floated on 6.8.2018 by GMC and was forwarded to the Government for its final approval after rigorous technical and financial bid evaluation by the GMC Drug Purchase Committee.

“Anticipating a delay in approval of the 2018-19/4116 tender, GMC Purchase took a written consent from all the distributors on 31.5.2019 to continue their supplies at the same old 2016 rates.  During this period, all Goan distributors supported GMC by supplying medicines against the additional orders issued by GMC at 5-year-old tender approved prices,” he said.

Shockingly, he claimed that the Health Minister Vishwajit Rane instructed Dr Shivanand Bandekar (Dean, Medical Superintendent & Chairman of Purchase Committee) and the GMC officials concerned not to give any additional orders and not to float any short tenders, “BUT TO PROCURE MEDICINES ONLY FROM THE PRIVATE FIRM “WELLNESS FOREVER”AT MRP which is 300% to 400% times higher than the approved tender prices.”

“As anticipated, the Government approval of the 2018-19/4116 tender was intentionally delayed to support procurement of medicines at MRP from Wellness Forever,” he alleged.

The newly-joined Joint Director Accounts, who issued the first purchase order for 25% of the total tender to the distributors on 14.10.19, was transferred within a week.

“However, no further orders are issued to the distributors on account of non-availability of funds and on the other hand the procurement of medicines at MRP is once again initiated,” he said.

“This irregularity is going on since March 2018. Wellness Forever has illegitimately sold medicines to GMC using wholesale licence issued by Food & Drug Administration in excess of Rs 30-40 cr at MRP in the name of emergency and local purchase supply,” he alleged.