LG recommends CBI inquiry into 'Not of Standard Quality' drugs supplied in Delhi govt hospitals
Dec 23, 2023
New Delhi [India], December 23 : Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has recommended a CBI inquiry into "Not of Standard Quality" drugs being supplied in Delhi government hospitals.
"I am, to say the least, anguished at the fact that lakhs of hapless people and patients are being supplied fake drugs that have failed quality standard tests," the L-G said in a letter to Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar directing him for the investigation.
"These drugs, procured by the Central Procurement Agency (CPA) under Delhi Health Service (DHS) were supplied to Delhi Government Hospitals and may also have been supplied to the Mohalla Clinics.... these have failed and are categorized as Not of Standard Quality," the LG said in the letter.
Needless to say, these drugs procured by spending huge budgetary resources are a grave threat to public health and safety and have the potential to endanger the lives of people, the letter said.
"Since the matter of Mohalla Clinics is already entrusted to CBI, this case, which may, inter alia, also involve supply of these failed 'Not of Standard Quality' drugs to such clinics, may also be entrusted to the Central Agency, especially in light of the fact that the investigation therein involves multi inter-state stakeholders including CPA- DHS, GNCTD, suppliers or dealers, manufacturers in other states and other state agencies, the actions taken thereon should be conveyed to all concerned within 7 days," the letter said.
In its report, Special Secretary Vigilance recommended that "since more than 10% samples have failed, we may advise the department to increase the scope of sampling in respect of drugs in terms of volume and value across all the hospitals."
"The department may also parallelly process the matter for seeking explanation and issue show cause notice to the officials of Directorate General of Health Services, GNCTD for such lapse and to determine their role."
