Hyderabad: Officials of the Telangana Medical Services & Infrastructure Development Corporation (TGMSIDC) have reported a sharp decline in medicine wastage in government hospitals, attributing the improvement to stricter monitoring and revised procurement practices.
A detailed report was submitted to health minister Damodar Rajanarasimha on Wednesday, highlighting that medicines worth around Rs 1,000 crore were procured over the past two-and-a-half years, of which only Rs 9 lakh worth expired. Officials said this marks a significant improvement compared to the previous period between 2017 and 2023, when medicines worth Rs 2,700 crore were procured, and Rs 88 crore worth went to waste.
The report pointed out that the highest wastage occurred between 2021 and 2023. Year-wise data showed that medicines worth Rs 26 crore expired in 2021, Rs 27 crore in 2022, and Rs 12 crore in 2023, resulting in major losses to the public exchequer.
Officials explained that the reduction in wastage is due to strengthened administrative oversight and improved stock management practices. Medicines are now being recalled from hospitals three months before their expiry to minimise losses. In addition, tender conditions have been revised, making suppliers responsible for bearing the cost of expired medicines, they added.
This proactive approach has not only saved taxpayer money but also ensured better availability of essential drugs in government healthcare facilities. The TGMSIDC continues to monitor inventory closely to sustain this positive trend.
