PATNA: Opposition BJP today tried to corner former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar by raising the issue of purchase of "substandard" medicines from "blacklisted" companies and supplied to hospitals which resulted in death of a person recently and demanded a CBI probe into the matter.
BJP members entered into Well in both Houses of Bihar legislature on the issue.
Former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi told reporters that "substandard" medicines were purchased from six "blacklisted" companies in January this year and supplied in hospitals of the state.
As a result of supply of such medicines, one Arvind Sah of Banka, died in Bhagalpur hospital on May 21 last, he alleged.
The patient had come for treatment of his ear and lost his life after being administered anaesthesia. The hospital without giving reason for his death got him cremated even without post mortem, he said alleging cover up.
Nitish Kumar was holding charge of Health at the time after BJP had parted company with him in June last year.
Sushil Modi said that his party colleague Baidyanath Prasad through adjournment motion in Legislative Council had raised four issues.
First why medicines worth Rs 100 crore was purchased from six "blacklisted" companies located in Kerala and Rajasthan?
The medicines purchased were of "substandard" quality and supplied to hospitals at an "inflated" rates ranging from 4 per cent to 875 per cent, he alleged.
Sushil Modi said that as a part of cover-up operation, the Jitan Ram Manjhi government has ordered two inquiries into the episode.
First is to probe death of the patient by a two-member committee comprising Director-in-Chief of Health society and Head of Department of Anaesthesia of Bhagalpur hospital and second regarding procedure adopted in purchase of medicines from companies by Health Secretary.
"Its nothing but an attempt to cover up the incident" he said and demanded a probe by CBI.
Leader of Opposition in State Assembly Nand Kishore Yadav also demanded CBI inquiry into the entire episode to bring truth.
Yadav, who served as Health minister initially in NDA government in the state, told reporters that despite the fact that the issue was brought in the notice of the then Health minister by a JD(U) MLA, the government in January 2014 purchased the medicines from these "blacklisted" companies and supplied them into hospitals.
Sushil Modi alleged that Ramdhani Singh, a confidante of Nitish Kumar, has been made Health minister in Jitan Ram Manjhi government to let the illegal trade in "substandard" medicines continue.
Sushil Modi alleged that when an official of a depot in Muzaffarpur raised the issue of substandard quality of medicines, he was sent on a long leave.