June 5, 2026 –
Health and Medical Education Minister Sakeena Itoo on Friday made clear her impatience with persistent delays in the procurement and delivery of essential medicines and medical equipment through the Jammu and Kashmir Medical Supplies Corporation Limited (JKMSCL), calling such delays unacceptable in a Union Territory with pressing public health demands.
Chairing a comprehensive review meeting of the corporation, the Minister conducted a detailed assessment of the body’s performance metrics, supply chain timelines, and distribution bottlenecks. She is understood to have called for strict deadlines to be set and adhered to, and indicated that accountability measures would be put in place for officials responsible for procurement delays that directly affect patient care across government hospitals.
The JKMSCL is the nodal agency responsible for the centralised procurement and distribution of drugs, consumables, and medical equipment to all government health facilities across J&K. Supply chain gaps at the corporation have long been a concern — doctors in district hospitals have periodically reported shortfalls of critical medicines, forcing patients to purchase from private pharmacies at higher cost. The Minister’s intervention comes at a sensitive moment: with the Amarnath Yatra season approaching and tourism numbers rebounding, the demand on government healthcare facilities in the Valley is expected to climb significantly through August.
