Srinagar: The medicos at Kashmir’s known maternity hospital are administering expired vaccines to new born babies, attendants have alleged.
As per an attendant, when they objected, the medicos at Lal Ded Hospital Srinagar, tried to conceal the used vaccines. Reporters from news agency CNS present at the spot, managed to take photographs of those expired vaccines that were given to newborn babies a couple of minutes ago.
Insiders from the special ward where vaccines are administered revealed that most of the drugs supplied by Jammu Kashmir Medical Supplies Corporation Limited (JKMSCL) to Valley based hospitals are on the verge of expiry.
JKMSCL is a fully owned company of Government of J&K, sanctioned for establishment vide Government Order No. 329-HME of 2013, dated 22.05.2013, pursuant to the Cabinet Decision No. 130/15/ 2013, dated 21.05.2013. It is modelled after Tamil Nadu Medical Supplies Corporation (TNMSC), for procurement of drugs, medicines and medical equipment, etc in the State of Jammu and Kashmir for the Department of Health and Medical Education and other Health institutions.
If sources are to be believed, most of the hospitals from Kashmir Valley were reluctant to procure drugs from JKMSCL as the drugs supplied by them are on the verge of expiry. “In a bid to save JKMSCL from incurring losses, Principal Government Medical College Srinagar Dr Saima Rashid passed written directions to hospital heads to procure drugs from JKMSCL without any delay, given the fact that some of the Medical Superintendents had flatly refused to do so,” said a renowned Doctor who did not wish to be named.
“In her communiqué the Principal Government Medical College Srinagar had directed us to purchase drugs that have minimum life shelf without any delay. We had no option but to honour the directions passed by her,” said a medico wishing to stay anonymous.
He added that drugs supplied by Jammu Kashmir Medical Supplies Corporation Limited in hospitals are either expired or on the verge of expiry. The expired vaccines ‘Menadione Sodium Bisulphate’ administered to neonates at Lal Ded Hospital may be the part of that supply.
Expired ‘Menadione Sodium Bisulphate’ vaccines administered to neonates are manufactured by Modern Laboratories- Indore based company.
“It is a criminal activity. Expired vaccines administered to new born babies can take away life. The hospital administration should own the responsibility while Head of the Hospital should be removed,” said Doctors Association President (DAK), Dr Nisar-ul-Hasan.
Managing Director, JKMSCL, Mr Inderjit claimed that they don’t supply drugs to hospitals with limited life shelf. “We don’t have any expired supply,” he added.
Principal Government Medical College Srinagar Dr Saima Rashid confirmed that she had asked hospital heads through written communiqué to procure the drugs from JKMSCL.
“We procure all drugs from JKMSCL but I didn’t tell hospital heads to lift expiry drugs,” she said and even confirmed that there some drugs that are on the verge of expiry.
Instead of putting their point of view about the expired vaccines being administered to neonates, the Lal Ded Hospital administration approached some people to influence this Reporter not to file the report and ironically some of them pleading the case of the hospital were journalists.
(With inputs from CNS)
