Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Nov 23: The National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) has found 5 drugs procured and supplied to Government hospitals in the State by Indian System of Medicines (ISM) as sub-standard and severely infested with fungus and have declared them unfit for human consumption.
To the utter disregard for human lives, the Health and Medical Education Department has no knowledge of the report and drugs are still in hospital and medical stores, posing threat to human lives.
The drugs that have been found sub standard and severely infested with fungus/pathogen which render these drugs/medicines unfit for human consumption are Kancnar gugulla, Prostate Forte , Systonex Syp, Jaytyadi taila and Rajparvartinivati.
The samples of these drugs were taken by the Vigilance Organization Jammu and Kashmir in September this year along with other 10 drugs, including Baijnath Arshrogi, Coughkalp, Pardvantik Loh, Phaton tab, Leuril, Braintone, Allayu, Strex and Syp Tens Off, from different dispensaries and stores of ISM department in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts. These samples were sent to NABL accredited laboratory outside the State and report of 5 drugs has been received by the Vigilance while those of 10 other drugs are awaited.
Vigilance Organization Jammu and Kashmir, Srinagar in its letter (No. VO JSC- JMU 7/11 dated 18-11-2016) addressed to Commissioner/Secretary Health and Medical Education Department, Jammu and Kashmir Government, Civil Secretariat Jammu has informed the department about the NABL report six days ago. However, Minister for Health and Medical Education Department, Bali Bhagat told Excelsior that no report has been received by the department so far. He said that action will be taken by the Government when the report is received.
The Vigilance Organization letter addressed to Commissioner/Secretary Health and Medical Education Department reads: “Consequent upon the conduct of a joint surprise check, the above probe is being conducted by the Vigilance Organisation Jammu. During the proceedings of the probe scientific analysis of about eleven samples out of the total taken from different dispensaries/stores of ISM department Districts Jammu, Samba and Kathua, have been got conducted through on NABL accredited laboratory outside the state. As per the laboratory test reports of 5 of the following samples have been found sub standard and severely infested with fungus/pathogen which render these drugs/medicines unfit for human consumption. In view of this is informed that appropriate action viz-a-viz public distribution of these medicines may please be taken. Further outcome of the probe shall also be shared in due course of time after the completion of further test process of all the samples of medicines.”
The ISM is directly procuring medicines worth crores of rupees from the market bypassing Jammu and Kashmir Medical Supplies Corporation Limited. While justifying the direct purchases, the Health Minister said that all Allopathic drugs are being procured by the J&KMSC while there is staff deficiency in the Corporation so the medicine for ISM are being procured directly. He said that Medicines procured by the Corporation are 80 percent cheaper than those procured directly. He further said that in future ISM will not procure medicine directly.
At the time when Vigilance is investigating the spurious and sub-standard drugs being procured by the ISM and have found that that DG ISM, Dr Abdul Kabir Dar and members of Approval Committee are actively involved in procuring of the spurious and sub-standard drugs and medicines, Government has given permission (Government order number HD/ISM/95/2016 Dated 27.10.2016) to the DG ISM to procure medicine directly from market till March 2017.
In an order by Additional Secretary to Government, Health and Medical Education Department with subject “Extension of Government order number 37-HME of 2016 dated 22.1.2016 with regard to ISM department” the Director General, Indian System of Medicines, J&K has been granted permission to procure the drugs directly.
The order read: “The Department may be apprised about the reasons in respect of the above and as to how the requirement of medicine etc. for ISM during the current financial year upto ending October 2016 have been met with”.
The order pointed out that there has been delay from the ISM department to place the order with JKMSCL as it takes 3 months to procure medicines through the Corporation. Sources said that the delay has been deliberate on part of DG ISM to pave way for direct procurement for Rs 9 crore.
“Considering the fact that only last five months of the financial year remained and that as already informed the lead time for procurement and supplies in JK MSCL is three to four months as far as ISM is concerned, would not get completed because of this delay in ISM department”, read the order of Additional Secretary to Government, Health and Medical Education Department.
“In view of the above position, and only in the interest of patient care and to ensure timely availability of medicine, the approval of Department to the procurement of Ayush medicines as per requirement upto March 2017 is hereby conveyed”, the order further read.
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