‘Segregate medical equipment’

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Apr 19: The Director of Health Services has written to the State Mission Director, State Health Society,  NHM (National Health Mission) to segregate medical equipment and other items procured to streamline management of the Directorate's store and NHM warehouse.
The Central Medical Store of the Directorate of Health Services was reportedly raided by the Vigilance and Anti Corruption Department and a number of masks were seized, said Director of Health Services, Dr K Rajo Singh in an official letter to the State Mission Director, State Health Society, NHM yesterday.
The Director of Health Services stated that the items seized were procured by the State Health Society, NHM and as such the items were to be stored in the State warehouse of the NHM.
Mentioning that the SMO (Central Medical Store) is working as the SNO (Procurement/Stores) of NHM, Manipur, the Director said MSK-I of the Central Medical Stores had also been appointed as Nodal Officer (State warehouse), NHM in addition to his existing duty as MSK-I (Central Medical Store) vide a SHS, Manipur memorandum dated April 6.
To streamline management of the two stores- Central Medical Store and State wareshouse of NHM, there arises a necessity to segregate the items procured. The items procured under the NHM should be stored in separate stores, the Director said.
Meanwhile, Heisnam Shilan, proprietor of M/S Dev Medical Store, Lamphel Kombirei Keithel, has clarified that he did not supply a single piece of N-95 mask to the State Medical Directorate. Speaking to media persons at his store, he claimed that he had supplied only three layer face masks.
"My firm's name was mentioned among others in April 18 issues of newspapers for supplying hand sanitisers, hand gloves, three layer masks, N-95 masks and PPE kits to the State Medical Directorate. Not a single piece of N-95 mask was supplied by my firm to the State Medical Directorate," he said.
His firm/store supplied 5,000 three layer masks on February 24 and another 8,000 three layer masks on March 23 to the Medical Directorate, said Shilan claiming he never supplied a 'single pollution mask' to the Directorate.
It may be noted that the Vigilance and Anti Corruption Department has registered FIRs against five firms and other(s) unknown. They had raided Central Medical Store of the Medical Directorate and seized 1,250 N-95 masks including 'substandard masks' which were supplied to the District Hospital Churachandpur and some other medical items recently.
The Central Medical Store of the State Medical Directorate was also raided yesterday and many items were seized, said sources.