Inquiry sought into purchases made by Health Dept.

The Human Rights and Consumer Protection Society (HRCPS) has sought an inquiry into discrepancies in the purchase of outdated medicine and equipment by the Health Department.

In a complaint to the Lt Governor and Chief Secretary, general secretary of HRCPS R. Muruganadham said the Health Department had replied to an RTI application that the government had incurred a loss of ₹45.31 lakh due to purchase of surplus medicine and equipment in 2019-20. The medicine and equipment had become outdated, he said.

The actual loss was much higher than what the department had mentioned. No action was initiated other than barring the two local firms from supplying to the department for three years, he said.

The Lt. Governor and Chief Secretary should initiate a probe by a sitting judge in the district court, the complaint said.