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Chemist questioned for selling AIIMS drugs

By Devesh K. Pandey

NEW DELHI OCT. 18 .The Anti-Corruption Department of the Government questioned a chemist shop owner on Friday on a complaint by the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences that he had illegally procured medicines meant only for supply and internal use of the hospital. While investigation into the case is on, the hospital personnel suspected to be involved in the racket are yet to be identified.

According to the Additional Commissioner of Police, Anti-Corruption, Rajesh Malik, the Department recently received a complaint from the AIIMS alleging that the medicines being supplied to them where being diverted to private chemists. In the complaint, they mentioned a case in which the bungling was detected by the Paediatrics Surgery Department a few weeks ago.

In that case, a patient was asked to get "cefazolin'' injection from outside. The patient's attendant went to one All India Chemist shop located nearby and was handed over the injection supposedly manufactured by Ranbaxy. When the pack was opened, the hospital staff reportedly noticed stamp marks on the products revealing that they were actually meant for supply to AIIMS. The matter was immediately brought to the notice of the vigilance department, which initiated an inquiry. Investigations revealed that the contents of the box were actually manufactured by Biochem, a company authorised for supply to AIIMS. The products were from different batches of supplies to the AIIMS store. This clearly indicated that the medicines were illegally sent out of the hospital to the private chemist.

Subsequently, the vigilance department submitted a report on the matter to the Medical Superintendent, who in turn ordered a thorough probe and intimated the Drug Controller of Delhi. Interestingly, in a reply to the AIIMS authorities, the private chemist shop owner claimed that he had sold "raflin'' from a batch of medicines supplied by Ranbaxy.

The Anti-Corruption Department is yet to complete the probe into the alleged siphoning off medicines. The officials have found that while it was very difficult to fudge records in the AIIMS store and divert the medicines to private chemists, it could easily be done by the hospital staff posted in wards and operation theatres of different departments. It is suspected that through patients, some of the hospital staff procure medicines and other articles more than required, and dispose them of to private chemists.

The questioning of the All India Chemist shop owner has not revealed much. Hence, according to Mr. Malik, the Department is scanning the records of the hospital and the chemist shop to get a clue, with the help of Drug Control officials.

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