Neeraj Rohmetra
JAMMU, Apr 23: Taking serious note of the supply of spurious drugs in Government hospitals of Jammu and Kashmir, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad has deputed a high level Central team headed by Incharge Deputy Drug Controller of North Zone, K Bangaru Rajan to take samples of drugs from across the State.
The Central team today lifted samples from Government hospitals and private distributors and shopkeepers in the City here and Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. The team mostly took the samples of antibiotics.
Official sources in the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare told the Excelsior that the Ministry would be sending the samples for testing to prestigious laboratories including Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission at Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, Chandigarh and Kolkata Drug Testing Labs.
The high level Central team led by Mr Rajan comprised two Assistant Drug Controllers and eight Inspectors.
The Jammu and Kashmir officials of Drug authorities were assisting the Central team in collecting samples and conducting other works.
Sources said the Central team today lifted samples from Government Hospital, Gandhi Nagar, Bhagwati Traders, Jain Medical Stores, Sehgal Chemists, Ragunath Bazaar and some other Government hospitals and shops at random.
“We are mostly concentrating on antibiotics. A number of samples have been lifted during the day from Jammu and Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. After completing the task in Jammu, the team this evening reached Kashmir, where it took samples from various hospitals, drug distributors and chemist shops,” Mr Rajan said, adding that a number of samples of antibiotic Amoxicillin have also been taken.
Worthwhile to mention here that Meximizin 625, whose samples have failed carried zero mg Amoxicillin as against 500 mg mentioned on the tablet.
Out of total of 20 samples picked up by the Central team, six samples have also been taken from Katra and Udhampur and six others from the Government Hospitals in Kashmir.
While traveling from Jammu to Srinagar, the Central team also picked up samples all along the National Highway including Anantnag.
Sources said though the Laboratories at Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, Chandigarh and Kolkata take 20 days for sample testing of tablets and capsules and one month for injections, the Union Ministry for Health and Family Welfare would ask them to test the samples taken from Jammu and Kashmir expeditiously and as early as possible as a special case.
The Union Health Ministry would seek early report from the Laboratories on urgent basis for initiating further necessary action in the matter.
It may be mentioned here that after the preliminary inquiry, the State Government has handed over the case to the Crime Branch, Jammu, which has registered a FIR in this connection and arrested two drug suppliers-Amardeep Raina and Ashok Kumar Raina, both brothers and owners of M/s Life Line Pharmaco Surgicals Ltd, Dream City, Muthi. Their partner, Akhil Gadoo of Dhumal Colony, Talab Tillo was absconding.
The company had supplied 2.65 lakh tablets of Meximizin 625 in different Government hospitals of the State in November last year.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Health (Independent Charge) Shabir Khan told the Excelsior that he has held interaction with high level team from New Delhi and they took the samples in joint coordination with the State team.
Mr Khan declared that none of the guilty would be spared in the case.
Mr Khan said providing quality health care facilities to the people of the State was top most priority of the Government adding that nobody would be allowed to play with the lives of the people.
“Anyone found involved in heinous crime for supplying of fake drugs or low standard diagnostic equipment’s or negligence in delivering patient care in the health institutions would be dealt with stringent action and put behind bars under the law,” he said.
The Health Minister said that Drug Testing Laboratories at Srinagar and Jammu would be upgraded this year. He said besides installation of modern drug testing equipment’s qualified drug analysts would be posted to speed up the drug testing in these laboratories. He said the existing drug testing Laboratories would be made given fixed target of drug testing annually.
The Health Minister said that a rapid alert system would be initiated to check further consumption of sub-standard or counterfeit drugs. He said Intelligence cum Legal cell would be set up in the Drug and Food Organization. He added that Drug and Therapeutics committees in all secondary and tertiary health Institutions would be formulated to review drug utilization and promotional of rational use of drugs.
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