Maharashtra Medical Equipment Purchase Authority established: Sawant

The Maharashtra Medical Equipment Purchase Authority has been established to enable government purchases of medical equipment and medicines through a single body, Health Minister Tanaji Sawant said on Friday.

The Health Department will also work to give a new lease of life to the state-run Haffkine Institute whose primary job is vaccine development and manufacturing, he said in a statement.

A bill for the establishment of the authority was passed by both Houses of the state legislature in the ongoing Budget session.

Until now every government department purchased necessary medical equipment and medicines separately, often at varying rates.

Purchases of medicines, medical equipment, sonography machines, dialysis machines, ventilators, CT scan machines and furniture could be now made through this authority. Even the Union government and other states can make purchases through it.

The authority will be chaired by the chief minister while the health minister, medical education minister and food and drugs minister will be its vice-chairpersons, the statement said.