Ranchi: The Jharkhand BJP has stepped up its attack on the state government over alleged irregularities in the procurement of medicines for government hospitals, questioning Health Minister Irfan Ansari’s accountability for the functioning of the Health Department.
BJP state spokesperson Ajay Sah alleged that Jharkhand is paying substantially higher prices for medicines that are reportedly being procured at much lower rates in states such as Bihar, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.
Citing procurement figures, Sah claimed that Amoxicillin 500 mg is being purchased in Bihar for around ₹1.15 per tablet, while the reported rate in Jharkhand is about ₹3.50. He also questioned the reported procurement cost of 21-gram ORS, which he said is around ₹8.50 in Jharkhand.
Sah said the BJP had earlier raised questions over the tendering process involving government hospitals, including allegations that contracts for 11 Sadar hospitals were awarded to firms allegedly linked to members of a single Ranchi-based family. He further alleged that some medicines and services were being procured at rates substantially above market prices.
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The BJP spokesperson said the controversy adds to a series of concerns surrounding Jharkhand’s public healthcare system, including ambulance services, availability of essential medicines and earlier reports of expired medicines and destruction of medicine stocks.
Targeting Irfan Ansari, Sah alleged that controversies relating to tenders, ambulance services, cataract surgeries and medicine procurement have surfaced during his tenure as Health Minister. He demanded that the government explain the procurement process, pricing and accountability mechanisms in the Health Department.
Taking a political swipe at Ansari, Sah said the minister should answer questions about the alleged “theft of medicines” instead of making political statements on allegations of vote theft.
The allegations made by the BJP spokesperson could not be independently established from the information available in the statement. The Health Department’s response to the specific procurement-price allegations was not included.
