The government has introduced a series of measures to ensure uninterrupted supply of medicines in public hospitals and prevent theft and misuse of state-provided drugs, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain told Parliament on Wednesday.
Responding to a scripted question from NCP lawmaker Abdullah Al Amin (Narayanganj-4), the minister said the government is closely reviewing both current and future action plans to safeguard public health resources and ensure continuous availability of essential medicines.
He said medicine procurement and distribution are being managed through the Central Medical Stores Depot (CMSD) and local procurement committees based on hospital demand.
In cases of shortages at specific facilities, emergency replenishment measures are taken immediately.
The minister outlined three key initiatives aimed at preventing theft of government medicines.
These include the introduction of an electronic inventory management system to digitally track stock and distribution, allowing authorities to monitor the entry and exit of medicines more effectively.
He also said barcodes and QR codes are being added to medicine packaging to help identify government-supplied drugs in cases where they are illegally sold or diverted from the public healthcare system.
In addition, monitoring cells have been established in hospitals, while routine audits are being conducted to ensure proper management and usage of medical supplies.
On accountability, the minister said departmental investigation committees are formed whenever allegations of medicine theft arise, and administrative as well as legal action is taken against those found responsible.
He added that hospitals have been instructed to display notices informing patients and visitors that government medicines are provided free of charge and are not for sale.
Responding to a supplementary question from opposition lawmaker Mohammad Zahirul Islam (Chattogram-16), the health minister assured Parliament that there would be no shortage of anti-rabies vaccines anywhere in the country.
He said rabies-exposed patients require four doses of vaccine over an 18-day period, and the government has taken comprehensive steps to ensure uninterrupted supply of the life-saving injections.
According to him, vaccine stocks have been maintained at three tiers nationwide, with sufficient quantities available at upazila-level health facilities and anti-rabies immunoglobulin stocked at district hospitals.
Earlier in response to another starred question from the same lawmaker, the minister informed Parliament that 139,675 vials of anti-rabies vaccine have already been distributed nationwide, equivalent to 558,700 doses based on the standard four-dose regimen per vial.
