The Supreme Court has issued notices to the Union Health Ministry on a petition filed by a retired High Court judge, alleging massive bungling in the procurement of drugs by the Central Government Health Services (CGHS) causing immense hardship to CGHS card-holders and loss to the exchequer.

A bench comprising Chief Justice V N Khare, Justice S B Sinha also issued notices to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and Health Services Consultancy Corporation of India (HSCCI) after hearing brief arguments from advocate R N Ray who was the petitioner.

Ray, a former High Court judge at Allahabad and Kolkata, who holds a CGHS card, has requested the SC to "resolve the issue of glaring maladministration and corruption, which has threatened the life and health of all CGHS beneficiaries".

The former advocate argued that untested drugs manufactured by local companies were being circulated through CGHS outlets, which is a cause of concern for the 13 lakh CGHS beneficiaries in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata alone.

He alleged that these substandard drugs were being purchased at inordinately high prices, causing heavy loss to the exchequer. He requested the court to direct the implementation of the guidelines formed in 2002 for procurement of drugs for the CGHS outlets.

The guidelines states that the Union Health Ministry was to purchase drugs directly from the companies before passing on to the DGHS for distribution to CGHS outlets.