Karnataka - Bangalore

‘Government hospital stock landing in private drug stores’

— Photo: K. Gopinathan

Medical Education Minister Ramachandra Gowda (right), Minister for Women and Child Development P.M. Narendraswamy (left) and general secretary of the Karnataka State Government Workers’ Sangha Range Gowda at a conference in Bangalore on Thursday.

BANGALORE: Medical Education Minister Ramachandra Gowda and Minister for Women and Child Development P.M. Narendraswamy have expressed concern over the reported siphoning off of drugs supplied to the government hospitals and health centres to private drug stores.

Raising the issue after inaugurating the State-level scientific conference organised by Karnataka State Government Pharmacists’ Association here on Thursday, Mr. Gowda said the State Government supplied drugs worth Rs. 116 crore to all primary health centres, district hospitals and government hospitals every year. In addition, the Centre provides drugs worth Rs. 100 crore to these hospitals.

“Unfortunately, a large quantity of the medicines, which is meant to be given to poor patients, finds its way out of the hospitals and reaches the shelves of private drug stores,” said Mr Gowda even as his observations were met with derision from the large gathering of government pharmacists.

But, unmindful of the boos, Mr. Gowda went ahead said up to 40 per cent of the medicines supplied to these primary health centres and Government hospitals was siphoned off. He appealed to the pharmacists to ensure that medicines meant to be supplied to the poor were not illegally diverted to private drug stores.

Mr. Gowda regretted that a large quantity of medicines available at the government health centres were of substandard quality. “The Drug Controller may have issued a certificate for the medicine. The drugs the manufacturers show for securing a certificate may be different from the drugs they supplied to these health centres,” he said.

Mr. Narendraswamy too shared Mr. Gowda’s concern over the diversion of drugs meant for distribution to the poor patients from the government hospitals to the private drug stores.

When Mr. Narendraswamy’s observations on the siphoning off of the drugs were met with similar scorn, the Minister for Women and Child Development said he had evidence to prove his charges. “I have evidence of it. I can prove the same,” he said.

But, Mr Narendraswamy moderated his observations by claiming that he was not accusing the government pharmacists of having a role in the diversion of the medicine.

Mr. Narendraswamy pointed out that Government hospitals were patronised only by the poor, particularly in the rural areas. “The poor, who cannot afford to visit private hospitals, treat you people like God,” he said and added that it would be a “grave injustice” to them if the medicine meant for them was diverted to private stores.

Working president of the Karnataka State Government Pharmacists’ Association Nanjaiah said there were no promotional avenues for pharmacists. “A pharmacist is either a pharmacist or a senior pharmacist. The government should create the posts of deputy chief pharmacist and chief pharmacist, besides increasing the pay scale of the pharmacists,” he said. Dharmadhikari of Veeranjaneya Devasthanam, Honnavar, Maruthi G. Bhat was present

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