JAIPUR: The Government of India has commended the drug procurement system adopted by the Rajasthan Medical Services Corporation Limited (RMSCL). During a meeting at the State Secretariat on Saturday, Manoj Joshi, Secretary of the Department of Pharmaceuticals under the Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, praised the state for providing affordable, high-quality life-saving medicines to patients, significantly reducing their financial burden.
The review meeting involved extensive discussions on the RMSCL drug procurement system, quality control, and distribution mechanisms. Chief Secretary V. Srinivas, alongside senior RMSCL officials, emphasized the state government’s commitment to accessible healthcare.
Srinivas noted that adequate supplies of essential medicines and medical equipment are being ensured at all levels, from district hospitals to grassroots sub-health centers, guaranteeing timely patient care.
Broad Distribution and National Ranking
Principal Secretary of Medical and Health, Gayatri Rathore, highlighted that RMSCL distribution centers supply medicines at rates significantly lower than market prices. Every day, approximately 3.60 lakh people receive medications across 19,000 centers in the state.
Due to these effective administrative efforts, Rajasthan currently ranks second nationally on the central dashboard of the Drug and Vaccine Distribution Management System (DVDMS), according to May statistics.
Double-Layered Quality Control
Detailing the operational mechanics, RMSCL Managing Director Pukhraj Sen presented the corporation’s procedures for procurement, storage, and comparative market pricing. He explained that a strict double-layered quality control process is implemented before any drugs or medical devices are released for public use.
To maintain transparency, drug testing laboratories are selected using a computerized random system. Furthermore, testing by the National Institute of Biologicals (NIB) is mandatory for all biological products.
As an additional safeguard, empanelled testing laboratories undergo regular inspections. Ten percent of the drug samples previously cleared by these labs are randomly re-tested to ensure continuous quality monitoring and strict adherence to prescribed medical standards.
The high-level meeting concluded with a renewed commitment to pharmaceutical excellence. It was attended by Finance (Expenditure) Secretary Tina Soni, Medical Education Commissioner Babulal Goyal, National Health Mission (NHM) Mission Director Dr. Ravi Prakash, alongside other senior health officials and central government representatives.
