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BHUBANESWAR: In a bid to curb irregularities in the health services in the State, the Orissa government has decided to adopt new policies for procurement of drugs and equipments.

It has also decided to impart skills to employees engaged in the sector to operate the latest equipment. The State government has conveyed its plan to a seven-member delegation of DFID (Department for International Development) which met the Health Mini ster, Mr Sanatan Bisi and Health Secretary Mr T K Pandey here yesterday.

The decision to adopt a new policy on the lines of Tamil Nadu comes in the backdrop of alleged irregularities in implementation of the World Bank-funded Orissa Health System Development Project (OHSDP).

“We are careful this time. The grants of Rs 400 crore to be made available from DFID will be part of the State's health budget,” Health Secretary Mr Pandey said, adding that the DFID has already sanctioned Rs 42 crore.

Sources said with increase in the state's health budget which had touched Rs 1,000 crore this time and funding under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), the State would procure drugs worth Rs 50 crore, besides spending Rs 9.5 crore towards purchase of homoeopathic and ayurvedic medicines.

“We expect the State to procure drugs worth Rs 100 crore in next two years,” the secretary said.

“Unless here was a well equipped mechanism to handle the amount, the purpose of spending money would be defeated.”

More skilled persons would now be added in the system to make equipment operational as well as effective.

“Though many machines were purchased under OHSDP, there was no skilled manpower to operate them,” a senior official said. The health sector requires good technicians also. - PTI

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