Inferior quality drugs supplied to govt hospitals

Public Forum to complain to Lokayukta, HRC
Visakhapatnam: Public Forum state secretary Kandregula Venkata Ramana basing on the RTI information alleged that patients are prone to more chronic problems after administering inferior quality injections and tablets that were supplied to some government hospitals.

Basing on the information with regard to the conduct of inspections in the government hospitals, along with ‘Not of Standards Quality’ reports obtained from the Department of Drug Control from April 1, 2016 it was revealed that of the total 23 samples tested, five proved sub-standard.

Venkata Ramana told reporters here on Wednesday that the government drug labs in Kolkatta and Vijayawada have confirmed that Piperacillin and Tazobactum injection, Thiopentone sodium injection and multi-vitamin tablets are sub-standard. Fearing that how many patients suffered from the sub-standard drugs in the KGH and the Government Hospital for Mental Care, he demanded inquiry.

He also demanded that the government initiate stringent action against pharma companies which supplied the low quality drugs, including Minopharma Labs Private Limited. Pernimitta and Quality Pharmaceuticals Private Limited, Amritsar and recover the amount paid. He suggested to the medical and health authorities to destroy such sub-standard drugs supplied to various government hospitals in the state.

Venkata Ramana informed that there was no lab facility in the state to test the quality of injections and so the government could not assess whether the injection supplied is of standard one or not. Lamenting on the state government’s failure to establish a full-fledged lab in the state, he said that they will lodge complaints to the Human Rights Commission and also to Lokayukta in this regard.