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KCSDS demands judicial probe
KT NEWS SERVICE. Dated: 4/17/2013 12:05:26 AM
SRINAGAR, Apr 16: Demanding a judicial probe by a retired high court judge into the fake drug scandal, Kashmir Centre for Social & Development Studies (KCSDS) today said it would hold protest against the supply of spurious drugs on April 18.
A demand was also made to sack the former health minister Sham Lal Sharma from the cabinet.
KCSDS organized a Round Table Conference here today. Dr Hameeda Nayeem, Shakeel Qalandar, Dr Ghulam Qadir Allaqabund, Khurshid Alam, Dr Nisarul Hassan, Sartaj Ahmad, Dr Javid Iqbal, Dr Altaf Hussain, Z G Mohammed and others took part in the conference.
The speakers condemned the government for supplying fake drugs to hospitals. They described as an act of genocide providing spurious drugs. They demanded stern action against the guilty.
They also demanded a judicial probe into the scandal saying the probe must be conducted by a retired high court judge.
KCSDS chairperson Prof. Hameeda Nayeem expressed deep anguish and concern over serious issues and demanded exemplary punishment for all those involved in the scandal.
"The people feel that they are being fed with spurious drugs which prove more harmful to patients than no drugs at all. This revelation is only a tip of the iceberg and last year’s high mortality of infants in GB Pant Hospital forms a link in the same chain which has been buried with impunity. In view of this linkage, we demand a judicial probe,” she said.
She added that the government failed to put in place a surveillance mechanism to check the supply of the spurious drugs besides monitoring the quality of drugs available in government hospitals and with private pharmacies. The government also failed to furnish a separate list of genuine and spurious drugs available in the hospitals and private pharmacies for the benefit of the patients, she said.
Shakeel took a strong note of the faulty drug procurement procedure in the state that altogether ignored or diluted the important criteria for pre-qualification/ shortlisting of companies and testing of drugs in consonance with the medically approved standard practices in this matter.
KCSDS will organize a protest on April 18 from Municipal Park to Press Colony on April 18.