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Parliamentary Panel recommends institutionalising procurement monitoring system for NACP
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Gireesh Babu, New Delhi
December 26 , 2025
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The Parliamentary Panel on Health and Family Welfare has recommended to the Union health ministry to institutionalise a robust procurement monitoring system for the National AIDS and STD Control Programme (NACP) in order to avoid any delay in procurement cycle and payment schedules related to procurement of supplies including essential drugs for the treatment of these diseases.
The Panel, in its 170th report on action taken by the government on its recommendations and observations in the 163rd report on Demands for Grants for the Department of Health for the year 2025-26, also recommended setting up of a dedicated monitoring cell to review progress of establishment of National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) branches for purposes including prevention of antimicrobial resistance.
The Panel expressed its satisfaction in the Department of Health's assurance that there has been no shortage of essential drugs under NACP, but raised concerns that delays in the procurement cycle and payment schedules might have potentially affected timely availability and distribution therefore should be taken care of in the future.
"The Committee, therefore, recommends that the Department should institutionalize a robust procurement monitoring mechanism to ensure timely tendering, payment, and supply chain efficiency under the NACP," said the Panel headed by Member of Parliament Prof. Ram Gopal Yadav in the report presented to the Parliament recently.
It further urged the Department to expedite the proposed detailed analysis of supplies & materials expenditure and submit a time bound action plan outlining measures taken to eliminate bottlenecks.
The Panel also suggested the Department adopt digital tracking tools for end-to-end monitoring of procurement and distribution and strengthening coordination between CMSS ((Central Medical Services Society) and NACO (National Aids Control Organization) to ensure optimal and timely utilization of funds under the Programme.
Earlier, the Panel has sought the Department to conduct a detailed analysis of the Supplies and Materials expenditure to identify the bottlenecks in procurement and distribution and the reasons for the reduced expenditure under this head.
The Department in its reply submitted to the Panel that the reduction of expenditure in supply & materials in 2024-25 is attributable to change-in procurement cycle by CMSS which caused delay in payment schedule.
Further, the reason for less expenditure in supply & materials in 2024-25 was due to stiff competition in tendering by CMSS, the prices of drugs, kits and condoms were discovered lower than previous years. It informed that there is no shortage of drugs in the NACP programme.
"However, a detailed analysis on the supply & materials expenditure will be conducted to get rid of bottlenecks in procurement and distribution," it added.
Looking at the progress of establishment and strengthening of NCDC branches and health Initiatives, inter sectoral coordination for preparation and control of zoonotic diseases and other neglected tropical diseases, surveillance of viral hepatitis, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the Panel expressed concerns over the continued delay in land identification in the state of Chhattisgarh and the slow pace of construction in several states.
It opined that this may adversely affect the NCDC’s ability to strengthen disease surveillance and rapid response mechanisms across the country.
The Panel, in the wake of this observation, reiterated its previous recommendation for the Department to set up specific timelines and measurable milestones for land acquisition, approval, and construction of the pending NCDC branches, particularly in Chhattisgarh.
"The Committee further recommends that a dedicated monitoring cell be established within the Department to regularly review progress, address inter-departmental coordination issues, and ensure periodic reporting on the status of each branch," said the Panel.
It also suggested the Department for exploring interim operational setups or rented facilities in States where land identification is delayed, so that surveillance, laboratory, and outbreak response activities are not hindered.
The Department informed the Panel that the National AMR Surveillance Network (NARS Net) involving State Medical College labs have been established and are being expanded in a phased manner. The programme has been expanded from 8 labs in 7 states and UTs in 2014 to 60 medical colleges in 33 states and UTs till March 2025.
Several steps have been taken by the Department on the AMR surveillance, including setting up of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for laboratory testing including internal quality controls. These SoPs are regularly updated and translated to training modules and used for trainings. These are also made available on NCDC website for countrywide dissemination, added the Department.
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