"Wrote several letters to Health Secretary..." Saurabh Bharadwaj on supply of sub-standard drugs in govt hospitals
Dec 24, 2023
New Delhi [India], December 24 : Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Sunday said that he had written several letters to the Health Secretary regarding the supply of sub-standard quality drugs in Delhi's government hospitals and that he had asked him to conduct the audit of medicines but he did not do it.
"On this topic, I wrote several letters to the Health Secretary, I told him to conduct the audit of medicines but he did not do it," Bharadwaj told ANI.
"I even sought action taking report...if 6 out of 43 samples turn out to be substandard, then there should be a probe...I hope LG suspends the Health Secretary soon," he added.
Earlier today, Saurabh Bharadwaj wrote to the Health Secretary about the supply of 'not of standard quality' drugs in the national capital, urging the latter to procure alternative arrangements.
"It has been brought to my notice that the Vigilance Department, GNCTD, has directed the secretary (health) to immediately remove the five drugs that were 'not of standard quality', from the stock where they have been supplied," read the letter.
"It was observed that in the recent past, certain essential consumables like absorbant cotton wool and rolled bandages were found 'not of standard quality' and were removed from the stock where they were supplied. The hospital authorities then did not make any alternative arrangements for the same and consequently, patients were inconvenienced since they were required to buy these consumables out of their own pockets," it added.
The letter further read, "Since the aforementioned five drugs, which are to be removed from the stock, are also essential in nature and required for treatment of hypertensive disorder, seizure disorder, gastritis infections and respiratory diseases, hence, alternative arrangements should immediately be in place to make them available so that the general public is not inconvenienced and the treatment of patients is continued uninterrupted."
"You are directed to inform me regarding the alternative arrangements made by DGHS and the hospitals for making available the five medicines, amlodipine, levetiracetem, pantoprazole, cephalexin and dexamethasone, of standard quality and their fresh stock position in the healthcare facilities, at the latest within a week," it added.
