Asem Mohiuddin
Millions of people in Jammu and Kashmir have been put under immense risk after the administration of Union Territory procured substandard medicines.
The official sources claim that the practice of purchasing substandard medicines is in vogue since the last three years with some officials swindling huge money out of this illegal practice.
The documents available with The Legitimate reveal that the department of Indian Science of Medicines (ISM) has been making purchases of substandard and spurious medicines continuously for the financial years of 2018-19-20 worth crores of rupees.
What is more ironic, the department is directing the district authorities to pull out the stocks from the market only after millions of people consuming the medicines, therefore, putting their lives in danger and making them prone to contract various other ailments following the consumption of substandard drugs.
“In reference to the above subject, this office has received communication from Assistant Director ISM, (Inspector Ayurveda) directorate of Indian Science of medicines, J&K, Jammu vide this letter-number DISM/DRUGS/168-71 Dated 9-April 2020, wherein he has conveyed regarding the test reports of following medicines supplied in the financial year 2018-19 to your district to be not of standard quality. In this context, you are requested to find out the stock position from your institutions and recall the same, if already not consumed, under intimation to this office,” reads the letter dated 20 April 2020 in possession of The Legitimate.
The Assistant Controller of store ISM further identifies the substandard medicines including Gluconil Powder, Shwas Kuthar Ras under Batch number OT-1817, and 7139 respectively.
Similarly, in another letter dated 5 May 2020, the Assistant Controller of Stores, Provincial Medical Store (ISM) reads, “Kindly refer to the subject cited above. In this context it is to inform that out of various Unani Medicine Samples sent for testing through Inspector Unani, four Unani Medicine procured during the financial year 2018-19 as mentioned below have been found not of standard quality.
The substandard drugs include Habbe-E-Mussafi Khoon, Itrifal Mulayan, Habb-e-Suranjan and Itrifal Sahatra.
The official further writes,” As I am directed to request you to recall the above-mentioned medicines from all ISM institutions. PHC (if available) in your respective districts and also direct medical officers not to use these medicines and may please be deposited in the provincial medical stores, ISM, Jammu.”
In 2019, the Director ISM is issuing yet another (Drug Alert) stop use notice in south Kashmir districts for over 5 more medicines and urging concerned authorities to pull back the stock immediately from the market.
With higher authorities failing to take any cognizance against the procurement of substandard drugs, sources said that the officials are fearlessly continuing the illegal practices in the department now.
“This is not only pushing the department on the verge of collapse but we are also losing substantially the faith among the public.”
In the last few months, the department has purchased medicines worth many crores as immune boosters to fight COVID-19.
“There has been no sampling and testing of the fresh supply of drugs across the nooks and cranny of Union Territory, the drugs are being provided and prescribed to the people as an immune booster to fight Novel Coronavirus,” the official privy to the developments told this newspaper.
According to officials, there has been no proof of the drugs that can help to fight COVID-19 but the officials without any medical reports are procuring the medicines in an order to make huge money out of the deals.
The earlier substandard drugs have been prescribed and supplied to the patients with chronic ailments like Diabetes, Blood Pressure, Blood Infection, Skin disorder, viral infections, constipation, and many others.
“Most of the patients who consumed these drugs are at higher risk of contracting other diseases and weakening their immune system. The substandard drugs do not cure but it involves your other body parts and subsequently lands the patients in the hospital for other complications,” the doctors in the department said, wishing not to be named.
The officials warn that ISM is running a huge mafia and the officials associated with the department are making huge money while resorting to these illegal practices.
“No one is taking the cognizance of these issues. We feel sorry for the patients who come here with the hope to get cured. But we complicate their issues and put their lives in danger deliberately after prescribing them these substandard and spurious drugs,” said another doctor.
Interestingly, the ISM is attaining the dubious distinction at a time when the Union Government led by Prime Minister Narender Modi leaves no stone unturned to promote ISM as an alternative to Allopathic medicines in the country.
“How is it possible to win the trust of people in ISM when the people sitting here are wreaking havoc with the lives of commoners? We have lost all the faith among people and that is evident from the substantial loss of footfall to our hospitals,” sources said.
Pertinently, the flow of patients to its main hospital at Shalteng over the years has dramatically come down. The majority of the patients who have been visiting the hospital to seek an alternative and effective medical care for their ailments have lost complete faith over the system.
“I had been visiting the hospital for many years. But unfortunately, I have not got a cure. The medicines I have been consuming were like drinking plain water. Finally, I have given up, “says, Mohammad Yaqoob, from Shalteng.
“It is not a disease, rather the use of spurious and substandard drugs that kill us,” he adds.
