NEW DELHI: Another political storm unleashed on Saturday as L-G VK Saxena recommended a CBI inquiry into the procurement and supply of alleged spurious drugs to Mohalla clinics and some hospitals under the city government.
Raj Niwas officials said that certain drugs, available at government health facilities, failed quality standard tests and were found potentially life-threatening for a vast population as they are prescribed in treatment of a range of illnesses. The drugs include antibiotics, steroids, anti-anxiety pills and a medicine given to hypertension patients.
The drugs, which failed the quality tests are Cephalexin, an antibiotic used for treatment of lungs and Urinary Tract infections; Dexamethasone, a steroid for curing life-threatening inflammation in lungs, joints and swelling in the body; Levetiracetam, an anti-epilepsy and anti-anxiety psychiatric drug; and Amlodepin, an antihypertensive medicine.
Reacting to the development, Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said that after assuming office, he had directed an audit of the medicines procured, but no action was taken by the health secretary. He also demanded the suspension of the bureaucrat and other officials concerned.
The Delhi BJP, however, demanded the sacking of Bharadwaj over the matter. Officials said that the drug quality test was ordered after receiving complaints from several patients. Drug samples were collected from three hospitals, IHBAS, Lok Nayak and Deen Dayal Upadhyay, that cater to lakhs of patients. The drug controller randomly collected the 86 samples.
‘DELHI HEALTH SEVICES INVOLED IN PROCUREMENT’
In a note to Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar, L-G VK Saxena said that the drugs were procured by the Central Procurement Agency, which comes under the ambit of Delhi Health Services and possibly also supplied to Mohalla Clinics.