Srinagar, Dec 03: World Health Organization (WHO) in its recent report revealed that fake drugs are being used in developing countries like India that are killing tens of thousands of children each year, said Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) on Sunday in a communiqué.
“This vindicates our stand that spurious drugs are given to patients,” said DAK President Dr Nisar ul Hassan.
He said according to WHO report one in ten medicines in low- and middle-income nations like India is either falsified or substandard.
“This is just a small fraction of the total problem as most of these cases go unreported,” he added
“From cancer to heart medicines and from antibiotics to vaccines, drugs in all therapeutic categories were reported to be either substandard or counterfeit,” DAK President said.
He said as per the report there are clandestine factories that have been making these sham drugs.
“That is what we have been saying for last four years,” said Dr Nisar.
“In 2013, we unearthed a big spurious drug scandal in Kashmir, but nothing was done to prevent this menace that killed 500 infants at GB Pant hospital,” he informed.
Dr Nisar said our endeavors in this regard should have been applauded, but instead false and frivolous cases were fabricated against us.
“Despite documentary evidence of involvement of some power houses, they were let off and shielded,” he said.
Dr Nisar said the illegal trade of spurious drugs continue unabated and every day patients suffer and even die because of this criminal activity.
He added there is a deep-rooted nexus between drug mafia and shoddy pharma units that pump massive quantities of these drugs in the valley.
“Kashmir is a safe haven for spurious drugs as the market is unregulated and unchecked. Less than 1% of the drugs get checked and more than 99% of medicines are without quality assurance,” said Dr Nisar.
