Karnataka government mulling setting up of medical services corporation

Bangalore: Karnataka Government is planning to set up "Karnataka Medical Services Corporation Limited" to ensure centralised tendering and purchase of drugs, Medical Education Minister Sharan Prakash R Patil said on Wednesday. "We are planning to set up KMSCL on the lines of Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation Limited to ensure centralised tendering and purchase of drugs," the minister said.

The proposed corporation will procure drugs through tendering processes to be distributed in their public health facilities, Patil said. Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation Ltd (TNMSC) was set up in 1994 with the primary objective of ensuring easy availability of all essential drugs and medicines in government medical institutions throughout the state.

"The bulk purchase of medicines and other items through KMSCL will bring down prices," he said. It would also ensure that there is no shortage of medicine in any government hospital, the minister added. Patil said that the government is unable to increase the quota of medical seats in its pool as Medical Council of India (MCI) is yet to inspect the six new medical colleges at Gulbarga, Koppal, Chamrajnagar, Karwar, Madikeri and Gadag.

The government will try its best to get the MCI nod for the new colleges, Patil said adding he has already spoken to Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan to consider increasing the quota of medical seats. "The MCI can only recommend but the ultimate decision lies with the union government. I am hopeful of a positive outcome after the meeting I had with the union health minister," he said.

An MCI team which visited the six colleges had drawn the attention of the government to minor deficiencies in three of them, the minister said. The government has taken note of the deficiencies and was hopeful of plugging the loopholes by June 15, the cut off date, Patil said.

"There are no major deficiencies and can be rectified. Even last year, we faced such discrepancies but rectified them," he said. Moreover, the Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital in Raichur, also known as OPEC hospital, would be reopened soon, after refurbishing and installing some new equipment, Patil said.