Distributors are reportedly planning to stop the supply of medicines, intravenous fluids, and surgical equipment to Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, owing to pending dues worth crores of rupees. Functioning of the cath lab at the hospital was affected on Thursday as those distributing stents for angioplasty have already stopped the supply.
It is learnt that the distributors are planning to submit an official letter clarifying their position to the medical college hospital authorities on Saturday. The distributors are claiming that dues worth crores of rupees are pending for the past many months. As per the usual practice, they are given the payment in advance. The distributors pointed out that the district administration’s promise to release the amount under the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) has not been fulfilled.
Distribution of stents to the hospital had been stopped since May 30. The Chamber of Distributors of Medical Implants and Disposables pointed out in a letter to the hospital Superintendent that the payment for the Karunya Benevolent Fund had not been released since June 2018. The payment under RSBY had been released only till December 2018. They also pointed out that the payment under the tribal supply scheme had not been given since January 2014.
