Srinagar, Publish Date: Jan 20 2018
Signifying messy state of affairs in healthcare system, several new born babies at LD Hospital have been allegedly given expired drugs. There is a special ward for new born babies at LD Hospital, where vaccines are being administered to them shortly after their birth.
Quoting insiders said that most of the drugs supplied by Jammu Kashmir Medical Supplies Corporation Limited (JKMSCL) to Valley based hospitals are on the verge of expiry.
“Most of the hospitals from Kashmir are reluctant to procure drugs from JKMSCL as the drugs supplied by them are on the verge of expiry. In a bid to save JKMSCL from incurring losses, principal Government Medical College Srinagar Dr Saima Rashid passed directions to hospital heads to procure drugs from JKMSCL without any delay despite objection by medical superintendents,” said a doctor wishing anonymity.
“In her communiqué the principal GMC Srinagar had directed us to purchase drugs that have minimum life shelf without any delay. We had no option but to honour the directions passed by her,” he added.
“The expired vaccines ‘Menadione Sodium Bisulphate’ administered to neonates at Lal Ded Hospital may be the part of that supply. The drug is manufactured by Indore based company. It is a criminal activity. Expired vaccines administered to new born babies can be detrimental to their life. The hospital administration should own the responsibility while head of the Hospital should be removed,” said president Doctors Association President (DAK), Dr Nisar-ul-Hasan.
Managing director, JKMSCL, Inderjit claimed that they don’t supply drugs to hospitals with limited life shelf. “We don’t have any expired supply,” he added.
Principal GMC Srinagar Dr Saima Rashid confirmed that she had asked hospital heads to procure the drugs from JKMSCL.
“We procure all drugs from JKMSCL but I didn’t tell hospital heads to lift expired drugs,” she said. She confirmed that “there some drugs that are on the verge of expiry.”
