Bhubaneswar: After much dilly-dallying, the Odisha government has finally agreed to accept the truckloads of personal protective equipment (PPE) kits from various suppliers parked outside the warehouse of Odisha State Medical Corporation Limited (OSMCL) here since more than a week.
According to the sources, the OSMCL has already procured 8.63 lakh PPE kits, which will be sent to various districts, and had place orders for another 15.7 lakh PPE kits, 2.2 crore triple-layer masks, 7.5 lakh N95 masks, 1.7 crore nose clip adaptable masks and other gear for the healthcare workers. However, it later told the suppliers that it will not accept any delivery after May 26. The earlier deadline was July.
The procurement committee, in its meeting on Monday finally gave its approval to purchase the PPE kits from the suppliers, the sources added.
On Monday, Health and Family Welfare Minister Naba Kishore Das had told the media that the procurement meeting held on May 26 revealed that the state had sufficient stock of PPE kits. “It was decided that there will be no further procurement of PPE kits. The company, which has sent the PPE consignment from Punjab, can divert it to the other states,” the minister had added.
