Srinagar, Apr 24 (KNS): As certain drugs supplied to Indian System of Medcine (ISM) hospitals were found not of standard quality, the health department Wednesday said that issue has been taken seriously and authorities have been directed to take strict action against those involved in the matter.
One of the top officials of the health department in the civil secretariat told KNS that they have received information from drug department about certain drugs, found “not of standard quality”. “The issue has been taken seriously and authorities have been directed to take strict action in this regard,” the official said, insisted not to be named.
Sources said that recently 34 samples, 23 from government stores and 9 from markets were taken by the Drug inspector ISM Kashmir. “ Among the 23 samples of government stores 4 were not of standard quality while 4 other samples taken from markets were also found not of standard quality,”
“The samples were drawn by Drug Inspector ISM from different hospitals of Kashmir, including ISM run hospital located at Sahlteng Srinagar and supply stores.
Sources said soon after the report of supply of substandard drugs to the ISM hospitals, the authorities raised alert and asked all the hospitals not to take drugs tested “not of standard quality”.
It is to mention here that according to various media reports the trade in substandard drugs has attained an alarming level in the state. “In the past few years, various drug, samples taken have been found to be substandard. Majority of them, which have unapproved chemical combination were common antibiotics, painkillers and vitamins,” the media reports has said.
The most serious case of spurious drugs surfaced during 2011-2012, when around 2 lakh fake tablets were distributed in the hospitals, which could have led to multiple deaths.
The 2017-survey report of the National Institute of Biologicals, which has put J&K at the 21st rank among the Indian states in terms of availability of quality drugs, revealed that around 3.4 per cent drugs in J&K were found substandard, which was higher than the national average of 3 per cent. “In 2017-18, at least 69 samples of the total drugs and other healthcare consumables lifted for testing by the DFCO were found to be not of standard quality. “Out of these, 13 samples were from Jammu division, whereas 51 samples were from markets and hospitals of Kashmir division. Four samples were from Leh and one from Kargil.”
Sources said that in the first quarter of 2018-19, around two dozen drugs were reported substandard by DFCO in Kashmir division alone. (KNS)