* Companies with sub-standard projects favoured
Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Sept 19: The Indian System of Medicines (ISM) has issued supply orders to the Pharmaceutical Companies whose products were found sub-standard and containing heavy metals beyond the permissible limits and have issued these orders without valid rate contract.
Sources said that the ISM procured medicines in June this year, despite having no valid rate contract. The rate contract was finalized in March 2016 and was only valid for one year (till 28-03-2017). They said that instead of floating a fresh tender the ISM extended the rate contract for a period of three months (till 28-06-2017), which is gross financial irregularity as per Book of Financial Code (Vol-I, Chapter XVII-Powers of Sanction read with clause VII-Lapse of sanctions rule 17-14 (1), (2) (i) & (ii)).
The ISM has issued supply orders to the firms whose most of the drugs were found sub-standard, infested with fungus, containing huge quantity of heavy metals and not fit for human consumption.
One of the company M/s Himalaya Research Laboratory whose drugs supplied to the ISM were found substandard and not fit for consumption and these included Hiferon, Piloma, Colispin, Diacure, Himstat.
The ISM had given fresh supply orders to M/s Himalaya Research Laboratory vide order No.’s DISM/PS/2017/2210-15, DISM/PS/2017/2222-27, DISM/PS/2017/2216-21 dated 24-06-2017.
The ISM has placed three separate orders from M/s Himalaya Research Laboratory for Syp Respidin, Tab Respidin, Syp Gastozyme, Syp Libest, Syp Daicure, Tab Pyrocid, Tab Piloma, Tab Nephrin, Tab Parmin, Tab Pyrogin, Dermopax ointment, Syp Syzine, Tab NeroPlus, Tab Anthel, Tab Rheumarin and Syp Heferon. One order for the same drugs is worth Rs 6, 73, 260, second Rs 4, 03, 956 and third Rs 5, 33, 505 respectively.
M/s Sydier Remedies Pvt Ltd, Aurangabad, Maharashtra has got supply order (DISM/PS/2017/2270-75 dated 24-06-2017) for supply of Syp Kofnil, Syp Realzyme, Syp Dysentrol, Syp Rechal, Rheumo Oil for Rs 3,63,634.00. and M/s Shree Dhanwantri Herbals, Nalagarh Solen, HP has got supply order (No. DISM/PS/2017/2282-87 dated 24/6/2017) for Syp Cofsol, Syp Memosyd and Cap Oce-Nim worth Rs 1,68,193.20 without any valid rate contract.
Earlier this year, 14 drugs procured by the ISM were found substandard, containing heavy metals including poisonous lead, Mercury and arsenic beyond permissible limits.
The 14 drugs, the samples (taken from Drug store in Jammu by Assistant Director, Directorate of ISM) of which were sent for testing in February this year, were declared sub-standard and not fit for human consumption by Quality Control and Quality Assurance Division of Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM) Jammu with some of them containing heavy metals beyond permissible limits.
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