Srinagar, April 28, CNS: In absence of any monitoring mechanism, majority of the medicos all across Jammu and Kashmir are still prescribing the banned drug combinations.
Last month in March, the Government of India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issued a gazette notification banning 344 drug combinations after terming these as “risky for human lives.” However, the ban hasn’t been enforced in Jammu and Kashmir, indicating the callousness of J&K’s Health and Medical Education departments towards public health concerns.
Shortly after the gazette notification issued by the Health and Family Welfare Ministry, according to officials here they directed pharmacies to take off the banned drugs from market. “Even we directed all the medicos to stop prescribing the banned drug combinations,” officials told CNS. However, reports said that medicos still prescribe these drugs while the same are available in the market in abundance.
Reliable sources said that team from Drug Control Organization on Wednesday sealed the medical shop run by a private nursing home in Southern part of Srinagar city. An official on condition of anonymity said that banned drugs were found inside the medical shop, a fact confirmed by Director Drug Control Organization.
A chemist outside Sub District Hospital Sopore told CNS that they can’t stop sale of these banned drugs when doctors inside the hospital are prescribing them. He showed a couple of prescriptions wherein doctors at SDH Sopore had prescribed these banned drugs.
Another chemist however claimed that he returned all the banned drugs to the companies. “Yes, medicos still prescribe these banned drugs, but we have already returned the same to the pharma companies,” he said.
Medicos however blame authorities for the mess. “You have banned combination of drugs but have not made the alternative drugs available in the market. What shall I subscribe to patient when I don’t have any alternative to these banned drugs,” said Dr Rafiq Bahaar.
Minster for Health Bali Bhagat said that directions have already been given to official to monitor the situation and implement the directions of Union Health Ministry in letter and spirit. “Strict action will be initiated against the offenders,” he said.(CNS)
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