Assam government issues new guidelines for medical equipment procurement

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: The Assam government has issued a comprehensive executive order introducing a new framework for procurement of medical equipment, aiming to strengthen transparency, clinical suitability, and cost-effectiveness in public health spending.

An executive order issued by the Finance Department under the Assam Public Procurement Act, 2017, mandates that all medical equipment purchases must be made through the Government e-Marketplace (GeM). The move comes on the back of concerns that while GeM ensures transparency, the lack of structured technical scrutiny has often resulted in mismatches between equipment purchased and the actual needs of health institutions.

To address this gap, the government has directed the immediate constitution of a State Technical Specification Committee, to be chaired by a senior officer of the Medical Education & Research Department. The committee will include representatives from key health agencies such as the Health & Family Welfare Department, Assam Medical Services Corporation Ltd (AMSCL), National Health Mission (NHM), and Health Infrastructure Development and Management Society (AHIDMS).

The committee will prepare tier-wise standard specifications for medical equipment tailored to Primary Health Centres (PHCs), Community Health Centres (CHCs), District Hospitals, and Tertiary Hospitals.

A binding specification library based on these standards will be created within 30 days. The library will guide all procuring entities to avoid over- or under-specification of equipment and will be updated annually or earlier if required due to technological changes. These specifications will also be shared with the GeM central team for inclusion under relevant product categories.

If matching categories or specifications are not available on GeM, departments may request inclusion from the GeM central team. In case of delays beyond seven working days, custom-based bidding on GeM will be permitted.

The government has strictly prohibited the practice of using GeM only for price discovery and issuing offline purchase orders thereafter.

During the interim period before the publication of the Specification Library, procurement may proceed with specifications approved by the senior-most secretary. For externally aided projects, donor procurement norms will apply, though alignment with state specifications has been encouraged wherever feasible.

The order also stresses mandatory warranty and service obligations, digital record-keeping for audit trails, and quarterly compliance reporting. Any violation of the notification or prescribed specifications will attract penalties under the Assam Public Procurement Act and Rules, the new guidelines specify.

Also Read: Assam: Couple accused of witchcraft burnt alive in Karbi Anglong