The health of Gujarat’s public is at God’s mercy as hospital supply Medicines samples are not being tested
The health of Gujarat’s public is at God’s mercy Medicines samples are not being tested in the Vadodara lab since March Chemicals for testing medicine samples have not been purchased since March Public Accounts Committee summoned officials and asked for a clarification on what action was taken regarding samples that failed over the last five years
More than 75% of medicine samples supplied to government hospitals in Gujarat have not been tested since last March at the Vadodara laboratory, which operates under the supervision of Gujarat’s Food and Drug Commissioner’s office. As a result, it has come to light that officials from the Food and Drug Commissioner’s office were summoned by the Public Accounts Committee on August 4–5 to provide a clarification. In the Public Accounts Committee meeting, they inquired about how many samples were tested in five years and what action was taken against the companies whose samples failed.
Samples of medicines provided to government hospitals in Gujarat go to the Vadodara lab for testing.
Samples of medicines purchased by GMSCL (Gujarat Medical Services Corporation Limited) for supply to government hospitals are collected and sent to the Vadodara laboratory for testing. Based on this, after the quality of the medicine is determined, the medicines are given to patients receiving treatment in government hospitals. Thus, the pre-testing samples have not been tested at all. However, because the Vadodara laboratory is in the hands of inefficient officials, they are not testing the samples at all, putting forward the reason that there are no chemicals for testing medicines. Under these circumstances, it is believed that the supply of medicines is reaching hospitals without testing results. Similarly, samples collected by drug inspectors upon finding the quality of medicine suspicious and sent to the laboratory are also not being tested.
Chemicals required for sample testing—such as Lal Test Re-agent, Methanol, Rectified Spirit, and Absolute Alcohol—have not been purchased in the Vadodara laboratory since March. To give an example, the Lal Test Reagent needed to test the quality of the liquid in glucose bottles is simply not present in the Vadodara laboratory.
A machine to test how quickly a medicine dissolves in the human body—that is, dissolves and integrates into the body system to start working—was provided for free under Corporate Social Responsibility; despite this, that machine has been lying unused in the Vadodara lab. The situation is such that it is not being used at all. The chemical named Tripsin required to test medicines using this machine has also not been purchased since March. Even though the laboratory requires regular chemicals and does not need to seek permission for their purchase every time, an unnecessary process of writing letters for permission is being carried out.
As these complaints increased, the Public Accounts Committee summoned officials from the Food and Drug Commissioner’s office for questioning around August 5. On the other hand, the official who purchases medicines for the store is also required to get testing done. Despite instructions from their senior officer, it has been learned that the store official is not getting the medicines tested. It is also learned that GMSCL officials have been called for questioning regarding the purchase of medicines.
