Legislators’ panel seeks action against erring medicos, pharma companies

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, September 2

Taking serious note of the spurious drugs menace in the state, a committee of legislators today asked the government to take strong action against both the medicos and the pharmaceutical outlets responsible for passing poisonous medicines.

Chairing a meeting of the committee on estimates to review the functioning of the Health and Medical Education Department, MLA Javaid Hassan Beigh told the Controller, Drug and Food Control Organisation, to submit a comprehensive report on how many samples of drugs the organisation had lifted from various areas of the state for testing to the Legislative Assembly Secretariat within three days.

“The government must act tough to break the nexus between the medicos and the substandard pharmaceutical companies which are playing with the lives of innocent people,” said the panel chairman, Javaid Hassan Beigh.

He also said a mechanism should be put in place for rationalisation of drug prices, especially the vaccines, to prevent common people from being fleeced by the “greedy” pharmaceutical companies.

Legislators Mubarak Gul, Ishfaq Ahmed Sheikh, Ranbir Singh Pathania, Shakti Raj Parhiar, Dina Nath Bhagat, Abdul Rashid, Raja Manzoor Ahmed, Abdul Rahim Rather and Romesh Arora were present in the meeting.

Commissioner Secretary, Health and Medical Education, MK Bhandari; Directorate General of Indian System of Medicines; Principal, Medical College Jammu/Kashmir; Director, Health Services, Jammu/Kashmir; Drug Controller, Jammu and Kashmir, Director, National Health Mission; Director, Family Welfare, J&K; and other officials concerned attended the meeting.

The committee also sought an update from the government on establishment of AIIMS, Super Speciality Hospital in Srinagar and setting up of new medical colleges in the state.

Threadbare discussions were also held on shortage of medical and paramedical staff in far-flung areas of the state, dumping of solid waste and construction of new hospital buildings.

The committee was informed that there were around 1,000 vacancies of doctors and 4,000 vacancies of paramedics which were being filled on fast-track basis.