Yet to make pact with regional manufacturers

KOCHI: The government and the drug manufacturers in the state are yet to reach an agreement over the direct procurement of drugs at cheaper rates, an initiative announced by the govt for bringing down the drug prices.      Health Minister Adoor Prakash had announced that apart from buying the drugs from outside manufacturers, the government would also procure drugs from manufacturers in the state. “But we do not have any official communication in this regard,” Kerala Drug Manufacturers Association secretary K P Purushothaman said. The government had just made the statement but  not come forward with any proposal, he added.He said that neither Chief Minister Oommen Chandy nor Adoor Prakash had called them for a discussion. Last month when the government had held a meeting with about 70 companies from outside the state, the association members were not invited, he said. The association has  expressed its dissent over the government’s discriminative attitude, he said. The government is learned to have reached an agreement during the meeting with certain drug manufacturing companies from outside the state for the supply of medicines to the government procurement agencies on discounted rates. As per the agreement, the manufacturers would  provide a discount of 25 per cent on all essential drugs supplied by them to the Kerala State Medicinal Supply  Corporation and Consumerfed. Adoor Praksh said that negotiations were going on with all the manufacturers, both from the state andoutside.