Distribution of spurious drugs and medicines by the allopathic or Ayurvedic and Unani chemists and druggists is nothing new in our State. Last year a big scam of supply of spurious drugs to the Government Hospitals in Srinagar was unearthed. Much hullabaloo was created when private drug stores as well as stores in dispensaries were raided and spurious drugs seized. The news was given wide coverage for a few days and then the normal course of police investigation began. After a few days the noise died down and thereafter nothing was heard about what punishment was served to the culprits of the crime of supplying spurious drugs and endangering the lives of many people. If exemplary punishment had been awarded to the culprits of last year’s spurious drug scandal, the present case of spurious drugs of Indian System Medicine (ISM) would not have happened. We have often said that without strong and effective deterrence, heinous crimes like supply of spurious drugs will not be curtailed and eradicated. The same philosophy is true in the present case of spurious drugs of ISM branch. If the culprits are not now given exemplary punishment the crime will never die down and we have to put up with it. The reality behind supply of fake drugs is that there is sharp competition among the drug supplying agencies. Those who give the lowest bid emerge successful bidders and orders for purchase of drugs worth crores of rupees are placed with them. This is the root cause of corruption and supply of spurious drugs is part of the big scam. It needs fool proof mechanism to eradicate the menace and the Department of Health has to work on it with all seriousness.
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