The Supreme Court on Thursday pulled up the Union government for the "sorry state of affairs" in the hospitals under Central Government Health Services and directed it to frame a scheme within two months to ensure that life saving drugs were available at reasonable prices.
Hearing a public interest litigation filed by a retired high court judge, R N Ray, alleging "massive irregularities in the purchase of drugs" under CGHS, a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice V N Khare criticised the Centre, saying many drugs were not available at the dispensaries run under the central scheme.
"There is no proper accountability or proper scheme in the purchase of drugs on one hand and on the other many a times life saving drugs are not available," he said.
Additional Solicitor General R N Trivedi said the Centre would soon formulate a scheme keeping in mind the court's concern.