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‘State becomes dumping ground for fake medicines’

CUTTACK: In response to the High Court order, the State vigilance after conducting raids and enquiries across the State, submitted a report on Thursday and agreed with the observation of the HC that ‘Orissa has become a dumping ground of fake medicines’.

Making this observation, the HC in January this year had entrusted the vigilance wing of the police to conduct raids when allegations came thick and fast that fake and expiry medicines are widely available across the State.

In its 77-page report, the Vigilance Department has pointed out in no uncertain terms that officials of the State Health Department, office-bearers of Utkal Chemists and Druggists’ Association (UCDA), drug manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers have a strong nexus in trading and distributions of spurious drugs in the State.

“It is a fact that UCDA plays a vital role in distribution and sale of drugs in the State and therefore, it has potential to coordinate and organise to distribute spurious drugs in the State by acting as a link between manufacturers and chemists’ shops”, the report said. It also further alleged that the office- bearers of UCDA make huge amount of money in this illegal trade for which there is always a strong contest for UCDA elections.

In a shocking revelation, the Vigilance Department said that during raids it was learnt that spurious drug trade originates from wholesalers of Cuttack city which are housed in Manik Ghosh Bazaar. “M/s Vijay Pharmaceuticals, Orissa Drug Distributor, Modi Pharmaceuticals and Mahindra Pharmaceuticals deal in spurious drugs like Morphene injections, Anti-serum Vaccines, Protein Powder and anti-cancer drugs”, the report said. Corrupt officials of the State Health Department who are responsible for purchase, storage and distribution of drugs across the State are suspected to be hand-in-glove in the trade of spurious drugs in the State, the report said. “Mostly, the trade of spurious drugs is carried out in the knowledge and in connivance of State Drug Controller and the local drug inspectors”, the report said adding that these officials are in the pay-roll of unscrupulous manufacturers and dealers.

In another shocking revelation, the report also indicted private hospitals of the State in spreading spurious drugs among the illiterate patients. “It is strongly suspected that nursing homes, private hospitals and clinics carry on the trade of spurious drugs more freely as they deal in generic type of drugs where there is no control and sealing”, the report said.

The Bench of Chief Justice B. S. Chauhan and Justice Indrajit Mohanty after receiving the report expressed shock and anguish over the state of affairs. The case, arising out of main petition of fake saline case of 2000 in which five patients including two newborns allegedly died due to administration of spurious saline in SCB hospital, has been adjourned to be heard next on January 14.

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