Commotion was created in the health department after confirmation of supply of spurious medicine for filariasis in Mahasamund district.
On the orders of the department, medicines from other districts were being sent to the State Medicine Corporation for testing. On the other hand, supply of medicines from the company concerned has been banned.
According to officers of health department, it was a serious matter that spurious medicines were supplied.
On getting test report from all districts, action would be taken against the Haridwar-based supplier company by issuing notice.
The health department had tested blood samples in 16 districts of the State in 2012-13, in which 11,661 patients affected by filariasis were found. Preparations were made in June, to distribute free medicines to these patients, after observing Filaria Day. But the date could not be decided as the Haridwar-based company could not supply full quantity of the medicine.
Health officers said that Rs 4 crore worth medicines were being purchased from the company concerned.
The first lot of anti-filaria medicines (DEC) was received along with anthelmintic medicine (elbandazol).
The national vector-borne disease control programme in-charge of the health department Dr V Jaiprakash said that Mahasamund has the largest number of 1,482 patients of filariasis. It was the reason that preparations had been made to distribute medicines there first.
On noticing difference in the colour of the anti-filaria medicine supplied by the Haridwar-based company, it was opened and when it was taken in the hand, the tablets become powder.
The medicine was sent for testing and found them spurious. Now, the medicine supplied to the rest 15 districts would also be tested. Order has been issued to all the districts to send the medicine to the state medicine corporation for testing, the officers said.
The officers said that testing of the anti-filaria medicine has been done through the State Medicine Corporation and on the other hand, supply and distribution of the medicines in districts have been banned until the test report comes from the corporation. If the medicine were found spurious in testing, the supplier company would be blacklisted. This medicine could have claimed lives, they added.
According to principal secretary MK Raut, testing of the anti-filaria medicine was being done and after getting test reports of all the districts, action would be taken against the medicine supplier company.
In this regard, efforts
were continuously made to contact manager of the State Medicine Corporation and health commissioner Pratap Singh and director health Dr Kamalpreet Singh, but both were not responded to telephone calls.
last year, because of the chaos in the supply of medicines in the eye camp organised at Bagbahara, Balod and other places, several patients had lost their eyes.
Even that issue has not yet been solved, against irregularities in the supply of medicines has been come to the fore.