Health Minister Inspects Chennai Drug Warehouse

Health Minister K.G. Arunraj recently visited the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation (TNMSC) warehouse in Anna Nagar. This facility serves as Chennai's primary distribution point for drugs and medical equipment to all government hospitals within the Greater Chennai Corporation limits.

The Minister highlighted the potential for system improvements, noting that while warehouse stock data is available online, the next phase involves real-time tracking at individual hospitals, including primary health centers.

Discussions also addressed potential drug supply shortages stemming from the Middle East conflict. Measures are being considered to manage raw material availability for drug manufacturing. Furthermore, the minister confirmed that efforts are underway, per the Chief Minister's directives, to ensure uninterrupted power supply to all government and private hospitals, following discussions with the Electricity Minister and Secretary.

Additionally, the inspection shed light on a significant backlog of over 8,000 private hospital and clinic license applications pending since 2019 under the Tamil Nadu Clinical Establishments Act. The delay has resulted in a loss of annual licensing fees, and streamlining these processes for transparency is a key objective.