Southern States - Karnataka   

Doctors refute reports on outdated drugs

By Our Staff Correspondent

CHITRADURGA SEPT. 3. M.Timma Reddy and J.Sharanappa, President and Secretary of the Chitradurga District unit of the Karnataka State Government Doctors' Association on Tuesday refuted reports that doctors in primary health centres in the district were giving outdated drugs to patients.

Addressing presspersons here they claimed that reports in this connection and the debate over the issue in the zilla panchayat meeting recently had tarnished the image of government doctors in the district.

The Vice-President of the zilla panchayat, R.Rangaswamy, had seized outdated drugs from some health centres last month. He had produced the drugs in the meeting of the panchayat. After a debate, the Chief Executive Officer, G.S.Shivaswamy, suspended three pharmacists of the Department of Health and Family Welfare pending inquiry against them for their alleged role in the distribution of the drugs.

Dr. Sharanappa alleged that it was a "conspiracy'' to tarnish the image of government doctors. These developments had given scope for the people to lose faith in government doctors. It had made people to look at government doctors suspiciously and hesitate to take treatment from them.

He alleged that the panchayat Vice-President had forged the statements taken from some doctors. An official attached to the panchayat Vice-President had written the statements. During the raid, they had forced the doctors to sign the statements. In one case, they had taken the signature of a doctor on a plain sheet after threatening him, he said. Dr. Sharanappa said that as per a government circular only the Chief Executive Officer of the panchayat could inspect the accounts of health centres and the department. He too did not have the power to seize drugs and comment on their quality. Only the officials of the Drug Control Department could seize drugs and comment on their quality. Others were not authorised to do this.

He said the unit had brought this to the notice of the legal cell of the association in Bangalore. After consulting the legal adviser, if there were a provision in law, the association would file a criminal case against those involved in the seizure of drugs from the health centres. It would include the panchayat Vice-President also, he said.

Dr. Sharanappa claimed that the health centres could stock outdated medicines in a separate box (with due mention on the same) or in a room as long as the higher authorities of the department permitted. The stock had to be disposed of after permission from higher authorities. But it should not be given to patients.

Several health centres in the district did not have basic facilities. There was a dearth of pharmacists and other staff also. Hence, doctors had to play multiple roles. The panchayat Vice-President had seized the drugs that had been kept separately for disposal. Most of the drugs seized were slow moving ones and were meant for external application, he claimed. Dr. Sharanappa said that if doctors had given outdated drugs to patients, they should have had side effects on patients by now. There should have been complaints from patients in this connection. But no doctor had received any complaint so far. Dr. Sharanappa said that the action of the panchayat Vice-President was "planned and deliberate.'' It had pained the doctors. He said the people should not be misled by this development.

Dr. Sharanappa said that the doctors would meet the President of the panchayat, Soubhagya Basavarajan, the Deputy Commissioner, C.N.Sitaram, and the Chief Executive Officer to apprise them of the facts of the case. The other office-bearers of the association and members, including the District Health Officer, M.G.Prasad, were present.

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