Excelsior Correspondent
REASI, Mar 10: A day after CMO Reasi ordered probe into the reports of expired medicines at PHC Arnas, locals in Mahore found that a big quantity of medicines was being consigned to fire in the Sub-District Hospital today.
Not only the expired but some medicines with shelf life were also put on fire and the same was detected by the locals, who registered a strong protest and raised slogans against the BMO Mahore.
Pertinent to mention that BMO Mahore has been appointed as head of the three-member inquiry committee, constituted yesterday by the CMO Reasi to look into the reports of expired medicines at CHC Arnas.
Taking cognizance of the incident, SDM Mahore, Yasin Choudhary has ordered probe into the matter and constituted a three-member inquiry committee for the same. The committee comprises of Tehsildar Mahore, SHO Mahore and a Medical Officer.
The protesting people alleged a nexus between the Health Department officials and private medicine shops. They demanded stern action against the guilty officials of the Health Department.
“The poor patients are not provided the medicines in the hospital despite availability of the same thus forcing the people to purchase the required drugs from open market, which benefits shopkeepers,” they alleged.
According to the sources, huge quantity of medicines, particularly Iron tablets and Folic Acid suspension worth more than Rs 13 crores were purchased by the Jammu Kashmir Medical Supplies Corporation two years back. Since the quantity of purchased medicines was many times more than demand of the same, the CMOs were unofficially directed by the higher authorities to lift the medicines from central store in Jammu even as there was no demand from the hospitals and PHCs, sources added.
As there was less demand and more supply, huge quantity of the medicines worth lakhs of rupees is lying unused and become expired, sources explained and said that if a high level inquiry or Vigilance probe is ordered into the scam, the guilty officers may be booked for the wrongdoing and causing huge loss to the public exchequer for personal gains.
Meanwhile, in yesterday’s purported detection of expired medicines at PHC Arnas, CMO Reasi has ordered attachment of Dr Rohit Bhardwaj and Storekeeper Jameet Singh.
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