CBI inquiry into supply of “fake”, or “non-standard”, medicines in government hospitals of Delhi
Delhi Lieutenant governor VK Saxena has recommended a cbi inquiry into the alleged procurement and supply of “fake”, or “non-standard”, medicines in government hospitals of the national capital. At least 10 percent of these drug samples have failed quality standard tests, said raj Niwas officials on Saturday. According to the office of the L-G, the cbi probe has been recommended on the basis of a report by the Directorate of Vigilance. There were complaints of substandard medicines being supplied in delhi government hospitals. Hence, samples were collected and sent for testing, officials said.The drugs that have failed quality standard tests include Amlodipine, Levetiracetam and Pantoprazole. Their samples were sent to government as well private laboratories. Samples of Cephalexin and Dexamethasone failed testing in private laboratories, while a report on 11 samples being tested at a government laboratory in chandigarh is awaited. The reports available have concluded that the drugs are “not of standard quality”. These drugs were procured by the Central Procurement Agency (CPA) under the delhi health services (DHS) and supplied to delhi government hospitals and may also have been supplied to the mohalla clinics. raj Niwas officials said in a note to chief secretary naresh Kumar, Saxena stated that it is concerning that these medicines are being given to lakhs of patients.“It is with a sense of deep concern that I have perused the file. I am, to say the least, anguished at the fact that lakhs of hapless people and patients are being supplied fake drugs that have failed quality standard tests,” he said in his note to Kumar. He added: “Tested by government as well as private analysts/laboratories as per rules and statutory provisions under the drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, these have failed and are categorized as ‘not of standard quality’.” In his note, the L-G further said “these drugs procured by spending huge budgetary resources are a grave threat to public health and safety” and have the “potential of endangering lives of people”. “Prima facie, apart from CPA-DHS, GNCTD, there are suppliers, manufacturers situated in other states and drug controllers in those states associated in this whole exercise,” he said.