The Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation Limited (TNMSC), the state government's drug procurement agency started since 1995, has now earned the reputation of being one among the most efficient and centralized drug procurement mechanism in the country.
TNMSC, which annually procures 270 odd items of drugs and medicines which approximately worth over Rs100 crore, accounts for around 90 per cent of the states budget outlay for the purpose. Besides, TNMSC is also procuring and supplying around 115 varieties of sutures and 60 odd surgical items, besides 100 odd items of veterinary drugs for the animal husbandry department.
According to TNMSC sources, the corporation follows the WHO's recommendation for the use of the International Non-propreitary Name (INN) commonly known as generic name for each drug. Open tender system followed to ensure procurement of quality drugs at competitive prices. It purchases only from the manufacturers having a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certificate and also having a market standing for at least three years. TNMSC has also brought in a minimum turnover criteria of Rs 35 lakhs to ensure only the participation of quality firms in the tender process.
In order to prevent wastages and pilferages, all tablets and capsules are procured with only strip or blister packing, against the earlier practice of bulk packing, which requires manual handling at the time of distribution. Both inner and outer packages of all items as well as the tablets and capsules are required to bear the logo of TNMSC with a marking to show that the drugs are manufactured only for state govt. supply and not for sale.
TNMSC has set up an effective centralized online drug distribution system interlinking the various warehouses, suppliers and status of stocks of various items for the supply.
The corporation has set up warehouses at 25 odd centres in the state at Kancheepuram, Vellore, Thiruvannamalai, Cuddalore, Dharmapurai, Salem, Perundurai, Coimbatore, Thiruchirappalli, Nilgiris, Pudukkottai, Dindigul, Madurai, Virudanagar, Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram, Tirunelveli, Tuticorin, Kanyakumari, Thanjavur, Villipuram, Thiruvarur, K K Nagar and Anna Nagar in Chennai. It is in the process of constructing a new warehouse at Sivaganga, and the tender process is going on for construction. The warehouses ensures prompt delivery of medicines to the Government institutions like medical colleges, district hospitals, taluk hospitals, Pri-mary Health Centres and through them to all health sub-centres, ESI hospitals and dispensaries, state electricity board medical facilities, panchayat union dispensaries, police medical facilities, juvenile homes, prison and rehabilitation homes, co-operative sugar factories, veterinary institutions, transport corporation dispensaries, social welfare department, social defense institution etc. in the state of Tamil Nadu.
Apart from the drug procurement and distribution, TNMSC has set up CT Scan centres at 25 odd localities in the state, besides MRI scanning facility at a few centres. The charges levied by these centres are marginally lower than the charges offered by the private sector.
TNMSC is maintaining the GI Bleed Centre at government Stanley Hospital at Chennai, a tertiary centre for patients referred from other hospital and centres. This center is equipped with trained Gastroentrologists, i.e., both surgical, medical and supported by blood transfusion department, anaesthetists, internists and other specialists and offer 24 hours critical care for patients with GI bleeding and hepato pancreatic diseases.