The Hindu : Kerala News : Anti-rabies vaccine: panel indicts Health Department officials

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Friday, Jan 07, 2005

Kerala

Kerala

Anti-rabies vaccine: panel indicts Health Department officials

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JAN. 6. The Estimates Committee of the Assembly has indicted senior health officials, including the former Director of Health Services, for irregularities in the purchase of Abhayarab, an anti-rabies vaccine, and for causing a loss of over Rs.1 crore to the State exchequer.

Addressing a press conference here today, the Committee chairman, Nalakath Soopy and other members, said that according to preliminary accounts, the loss to the State exchequer was Rs.59,95,696, but it would be over Rs. 1 crore once the accounts are finalised.

`Recover amount'

The Committee has recommended that the Government should recover the amount from the Director of Health Services, who is also chairman of the Central Purchasing Committee, the members of the CPC, and the doctors of the Kollam District Hospital, where the administration of the vaccine had led to reaction in patients.

The Committee found several gaps in the way the issue was handled by the Health Department officials. It said that the 90/2001 batch of Abhayarab had been banned without proper inquiry.

The batch number that was reported and the one, which led to reaction in patients, were of different series.

The officials had failed to clarify the reasons for the delay in reporting the reaction seen in patients and for taking timely action on it. The Committee found that the concerned officials had filed false reports and wanted the Health Department to seek a written explanation from them and take punitive action against them.

Statutory status

The committee wanted the Government to change the structure and functioning of the Central Purchasing committee and give it a statutory status. It wanted the Government to consider setting up a high level appellate authority to review the decisions taken by the CPC and any petitions against its decisions.

Preference for PSUs

It wanted the Government to ensure that the preference given to public sector undertakings in the supply of medicines should be retained. It wanted the Government to institute a mechanism to ensure the quality of medicines and other materials.

Yearly inspection

The Finance Department should conduct yearly inspection of the medicines purchased by the CPC, it said.

When asked whether the committee had examined whether any political interference had taken place, Mr. Soopy said that the committee had focussed its attention on the irregularities.

Even if political interference had taken place, it was the responsibility of the officials to ensure that the rules are properly observed.

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