Acute shortage: Drug supply through CPA likely to resume

AFTER months of disruption in medical supplies across hospitals run by the city government, the supply of drugs and surgical items is likely to be streamlined by the end of October.

- ASHISH SRIVASTAVA @New Delhi

Officials said the procurement through the Central Procurement Agency (CPA) is likely to resume in two to three weeks. The move is expected to bring relief to hospitals that are struggling with a severe shortage of essential drugs.

The Delhi government had earlier barred hospitals from purchasing medicines from the open market or the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal, directing all procurement to be routed exclusively through the CPA.

However, operational delays in the agency’s functioning stalled the rollout of the system, leaving hospital stores empty and forcing patients to buy medicines from outside.