State Congress on Tuesday alleged that State Health department had become a puppet of drug mafia and also demanded a high-level enquiry into the purchase of substandard medicines. Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) chief spokesman KK Mishra in a statement here on Tuesday said, “The health department of the State has become puppet of the drug mafia. Sub-standard medicines worth crore of rupees are purchased at different levels by this department resulting in the death of hundreds of innocent patients. Hence a high level enquiry should be conducted for all the scams of the health department.”

Mishra further alleged that a nexus of drug mafia, political leaders affiliated with ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and bureaucrats was active in the State Health department. The Health Minister of the State Narottam Mishra came in open support in case of purchase of 147 substandard medicines and later he proved to be a liar, he added.

Similarly, during the recent raids by the Food and Drugs department teams at the medical store of 108 ambulances it was revealed that spirit meant for cleaning tools was applied on the wounds of thousands of patients, but before the inquiry report  of the matter comes, Health Minister Narottam Mishra gave clean chit to the 108. This incidence one again exposed the negligence and deep rooted corruption in the most important health services of the state, he added.

The senior Congress leader alleged that due to red tapism and corruption in the health department everything was being done that was against the humanity and rules and regulations except for the interest of the patients.

 “The Congress demands high level enquiry in distribution of substandard medicines to the patients and scams to the tune of crore of rupees in medicines purchase at various levels in the health department,” Mishra said.