Haryana CM Nayab Saini mandates centralised medicine portal, warns against outside prescriptions

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Monday directed all government hospitals to maintain medicine records on a real-time centralised portal, aiming to eliminate shortages and curb the practice of prescribing medicines from outside.

The move will enable doctors to check the availability of medicines in their hospitals, leaving little scope for external prescriptions. The Chief Minister made it clear that if any doctor still prescribes medicines from outside, they must explicitly mention on the OPD slip that the drug is unavailable in the hospital. Responsibility for ensuring compliance will rest with Chief Medical Officers (CMOs).

Saini issued the directions while chairing a high-level review meeting on healthcare services at the Secretariat. Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Dr Sumita Misra and Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Arun Gupta were present.

Reviewing medicine availability, medical equipment, OPD management, staffing and procurement systems, the Chief Minister stressed that patients visiting government hospitals should not face inconvenience. He called for continuous monitoring of services and asserted that any shortage of medicines would not be tolerated.

“A robust real-time monitoring system for medicine stocks must be implemented to ensure timely replenishment,” he said.

To prevent stock-outs, he directed annual empanelment of suppliers and asked CMOs to communicate requirements at least four days in advance to empanelled agencies.

The Chief Minister also called for strict action against the unnecessary prescription of outside medicines, stating that patients should not be burdened with additional expenses and must receive treatment within government facilities.

Emphasising infrastructure upgrades, Saini directed that advanced diagnostic facilities such as CT scan and MRI be made available in all districts. Officials informed that such facilities have already been established in 10 districts. He instructed that the remaining 12 districts be covered at the earliest so that patients do not have to travel outside for diagnostics. A phased expansion plan was also sought to meet future healthcare needs.

Adequate staffing and timely treatment

The CM directed that hospitals be strengthened in line with patient load, ensuring adequate availability of doctors, nursing staff and paramedics. He stressed timely treatment for all patients and improvements in staff deployment, duty rosters and overall functioning. Officials said that until full-time specialists are appointed in medical colleges, doctors will be engaged on a contractual basis.

Accountability and performance monitoring

Highlighting the role of CMOs, Saini said their accountability must be clearly defined and called for strict adherence to district-wise targets along with strengthening of performance-based monitoring systems.

Transparent, time-bound procurement

He directed that procurement of medicines and equipment be made transparent, efficient and time-bound, with strict adherence to timelines and quality standards.

Improved cleanliness and patient services

The Chief Minister also emphasised better sanitation and a patient-friendly approach in hospitals. He called for improved cleanliness, efficient management systems and stronger feedback mechanisms to ensure continuous improvement in healthcare services.