Govt hospitals procure fake medicines, watchdog learns
They purchased medicines from Kachi Gali, a notorious market for spurious drugs.
KARACHI:
Government hospitals across the province continue to purchase substandard medicines without even getting them tested from a laboratory, therefore endangering the lives of millions of people.
The Sindh Assembly’s public accounts committee took the provincial health department to task on Wednesday for the wide availability of fake medicines in public hospitals and pharmacies across the province.
The watchdog committee’s chairman, Jam Tamachi Unar, said that unregistered pharmaceutical companies were providing “spurious” medicines, and that some health department officials were acting as enablers in the episode. “Why do not you people get the medicines from multinational companies,” Unar questioned health department officials.
Dr Saeed Qureshi, medical superintendent of the Civil hospital, replied that the process for examining the quality of medicines was fairly complicated. “There is only one testing laboratory, which takes around three months to prepare a quality report for a medicine. That is the reason hospitals use drugs without obtaining the testing report.”
Muttahida Qaumi Movement MPA Amir Moin Pirzada maintained that, in such a case, the department should approach private laboratories to get the medicines tested. He added that the health department reportedly purchased medicines from Kachi Gali in Karachi, a notorious market known for selling fake drugs.
According to Director General (DG) Audit Ghulam Akbar Sohu, the health department had purchased medicines worth Rs7.95 million in 2008-2009, without getting them checked with any laboratory. Soho added that the government had suffered losses totalling Rs8.7 million from 2006 to 2009 because the health department purchased overpriced medicines.
The lawmakers were also informed about the shortage of drug inspectors in the province, which contributed to the presence of a high number of sub-standard medicines in the province.
“There are only 14 drug inspectors, who cannot keep proper vigil on pharmaceutical companies and pharmacies in Sindh. We are going to appoint another 154 drug inspectors to overcome the shortage,” health officials told the committee. The watchdog directed health officials to form a board of directors at every public hospital, and medical university and college, comprising health experts, civil society activists and staff members to keep a check on such mismanagement.
Irregularities
The DG Audit, Sohu, added that irregularities worth Rs10.89 million had been unearthed in accounts of medical universities and hospitals. He cited the example of the medical superintendent of Services Hospital Hyderabad, who reportedly withdrew Rs197,730 from the bank by faking the signatures of the drawing and disbursing officer. Soho added that no disciplinary action was taken against the superintendent. Health secretary Aftab Ahmed Khatri clarified that an inquiry had been ordered into the matter.
The audit official added that from 2006 to 2009, the Chandka Medical Hospital Larkana, Civil Hospital Karachi, Services Hospital Karachi, Peoples Medical College Nawabshah and the Government Hospital Saudabad spent Rs9.99 million but did not bother to keep the receipts.
While talking to media personnel, Soho said that the department’s officials had managed to settle irregularities, and had submitted the required documents.
Ghost doctors
While responding to queries by members of the watchdog about “ghost doctors,” who mostly work at basic health centres and public hospitals in rural Sindh, deputy health secretary Imdad Shah said that doctors would soon be appointed to specific health centres for fixed terms of five years.
The so-called ghost doctors refers to people who do not actually work at the healthcare institutions, but continue to get paid. Some of these professionals, the watchdog was told, practice in the Middle East and other countries, but continue to draw salaries and other benefits from the provincial health department.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 30th, 2012.
Government hospitals across the province continue to purchase substandard medicines without even getting them tested from a laboratory, therefore endangering the lives of millions of people.
The Sindh Assembly’s public accounts committee took the provincial health department to task on Wednesday for the wide availability of fake medicines in public hospitals and pharmacies across the province.
The watchdog committee’s chairman, Jam Tamachi Unar, said that unregistered pharmaceutical companies were providing “spurious” medicines, and that some health department officials were acting as enablers in the episode. “Why do not you people get the medicines from multinational companies,” Unar questioned health department officials.
Dr Saeed Qureshi, medical superintendent of the Civil hospital, replied that the process for examining the quality of medicines was fairly complicated. “There is only one testing laboratory, which takes around three months to prepare a quality report for a medicine. That is the reason hospitals use drugs without obtaining the testing report.”
Muttahida Qaumi Movement MPA Amir Moin Pirzada maintained that, in such a case, the department should approach private laboratories to get the medicines tested. He added that the health department reportedly purchased medicines from Kachi Gali in Karachi, a notorious market known for selling fake drugs.
According to Director General (DG) Audit Ghulam Akbar Sohu, the health department had purchased medicines worth Rs7.95 million in 2008-2009, without getting them checked with any laboratory. Soho added that the government had suffered losses totalling Rs8.7 million from 2006 to 2009 because the health department purchased overpriced medicines.
The lawmakers were also informed about the shortage of drug inspectors in the province, which contributed to the presence of a high number of sub-standard medicines in the province.
“There are only 14 drug inspectors, who cannot keep proper vigil on pharmaceutical companies and pharmacies in Sindh. We are going to appoint another 154 drug inspectors to overcome the shortage,” health officials told the committee. The watchdog directed health officials to form a board of directors at every public hospital, and medical university and college, comprising health experts, civil society activists and staff members to keep a check on such mismanagement.
Irregularities
The DG Audit, Sohu, added that irregularities worth Rs10.89 million had been unearthed in accounts of medical universities and hospitals. He cited the example of the medical superintendent of Services Hospital Hyderabad, who reportedly withdrew Rs197,730 from the bank by faking the signatures of the drawing and disbursing officer. Soho added that no disciplinary action was taken against the superintendent. Health secretary Aftab Ahmed Khatri clarified that an inquiry had been ordered into the matter.
The audit official added that from 2006 to 2009, the Chandka Medical Hospital Larkana, Civil Hospital Karachi, Services Hospital Karachi, Peoples Medical College Nawabshah and the Government Hospital Saudabad spent Rs9.99 million but did not bother to keep the receipts.
While talking to media personnel, Soho said that the department’s officials had managed to settle irregularities, and had submitted the required documents.
Ghost doctors
While responding to queries by members of the watchdog about “ghost doctors,” who mostly work at basic health centres and public hospitals in rural Sindh, deputy health secretary Imdad Shah said that doctors would soon be appointed to specific health centres for fixed terms of five years.
The so-called ghost doctors refers to people who do not actually work at the healthcare institutions, but continue to get paid. Some of these professionals, the watchdog was told, practice in the Middle East and other countries, but continue to draw salaries and other benefits from the provincial health department.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 30th, 2012.