The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Tribunal asks CGHS to speed up appointment of chemists

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 14, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Tribunal asks CGHS to speed up appointment of chemists

Special Correspondent

Purchasing drugs outside `an inconvenience to patients'

CHENNAI : Concerned at the delay in availability of medicines and reimbursement of claims under Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has asked the Centre to expedite appointment of chemists.

The Madras Bench of the CAT, comprising Vice-Chairman Justice P. Shanmugam and Administrative Member K.S. Sugathan gave the direction on an original application filed by a pensioner.

In his application, a retired official of the Department of Telecommunications prayed for supply of medicines, prescribed by CGHS doctors, to him without him having to buy them from open market, and also to refer him to a recognised private hospital of his choice without insisting on the initial advice from a Government Hospital. He moved the CAT after the K.K. Nagar CGHS Dispensary asked him to purchase a medicine in open market, and his subsequent claim was delayed.

In its response, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare submitted that appointment of local chemists to supply medicines had been hit since 2003 because of litigation, and that medical officers had stopped issuing reimbursement of medical bills since September 2006. However, during the pendency of the present case the applicant-pensioner was reimbursed the claim sum, besides the medicines required by him.

The applicant however reiterated that CGHS should supply the medicines rather than asking him to buy them outside. Also, the Chief Medical Officer in-charge should refer patients directly to recognised hospitals, except in case of serious ailments.

Dispute resolved

Pointing out the Ministry had not disputed the pensioner's claims, the Bench said, "because of certain administrative difficulties the Chennai CGHS organisation has not been able to supply all the required medicines. It is clearly established that the present arrangement, in which beneficiaries have to purchase the medicines and claim reimbursement, is causing inconvenience to the patients.

It is also admitted by the respondent that the stoppage of disbursement work by doctors have caused hardships to the beneficiaries.

It is, therefore, incumbent on the respondent to ensure that the procedure for appointment of local chemists should be completed without any further loss of time, since the dispute about certain tender clauses has finally been decided by the Supreme Court."

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