Govt to procure Anti-TB drug

The Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase today recommended approval of a proposal for procuring some 5,38,65,000 Anti-TB drugs (4FDC) under the revenue budget to strengthen tuberculosis control efforts.

The Health Services Division proposed the purchase of 5,38,65,000 units of Anti-TB Drug (4FDC) under Package No GR-2557 at a total cost of Taka 77.57 crore. M/S Reneta PLC has been selected as the supplier.

The approval came from the 6th meeting of the Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase held today at the Cabinet Division Conference Room at Bangladesh Secretariat today with Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed in the chair.

Health officials said the procurement will ensure uninterrupted availability of life-saving medicines across government health facilities and support the national TB elimination programme.

The day's meeting also recommended approval of a proposal to procure 14.82 lakh GeneXpert Cartridges through the Direct Procurement Method (DPM) at a cost of Taka 237.12 crore. The cartridges will be supplied by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) to ensure uninterrupted diagnostic services, particularly for TB and other infectious diseases.

The committee further allowed the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education to approve the renewal of 11 contracts with Grameenphone Limited for providing internet connectivity to 40,586 government primary schools under the Fourth Primary Education Development Programme (PEDP-4).

Officials said the decisions reflect the government's commitment to strengthening health services, education infrastructure and energy planning through transparent procurement processes.