Bilal Handoo
SRINAGAR
Members of civil society under the banner of Kashmir Center for Social And Development Studies (KCSDS) held a protest rally on Thursday against the spurious drugs scandal in Srinagar.
The members were demanding strict action against those who are behind the influx of spurious drug in Kashmir. “Those who are responsible for this obnoxious intent must be brought to the book,” agitated protestors demanded.
The protestors, who comprised of many professionals, businessmen and ex-officials pressed for the strict action against the culprits. “Whether it is health director or minister, nobody should be spared for this planned genocide,” one of the members told media.
Pertinently, Medical Education Minister and Senior Congress leader Taj Mohi ud din Tuesday alleged that health department was full of scams and the documentary evidences suggest that Sharma Lal Sharma was involved in the spurious drug scam.
“I have already said that I have no skeletons in my cupboard, but yes Health department under Sham has been full of scandals,” Taj Mohi ud din told a local news agency.
The latest crisis hit Kashmir after a report by central drug organization revealed that government run hospitals in Kashmir are supplied with spurious drugs.
These drugs, including substandard antibiotic injections, approved by a Jammu-based central purchase committee last year, have been supplied to patients at the Government Medical College Srinagar and other hospitals. Major supply of the spurious drug has been consumed in GB Pant Children Hospital, where hundreds of infants died last year.
“Putting lives of people at risk is a grave human rights violation,” Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) stated after report surfaced.
Though the government nominated Controller Drug and Food Organization, J&K, as a member of the enquiry committee probing the spurious drug scam, but reports suggest that officer is a member of the Jammu-based Purchase Committee that earlier approved the purchase of a bulk quantity of antibiotics which later turned out to be spurious.
“Doctors need to play their role to check the free run of spurious drugs in the Valley,” G N Shaheen, one of the protesting members and high court lawyer, said. “They should only prescribe WHO recommended drugs.”
Keeping in view any law and order problem, a huge contingent of police was placed around Srinagar’s Press Colony where protestors later briefed the media and dispersed peacefully.
“Sack and Hang all those who make, promote and sell spurious drugs,” reads the line on the banner held by protestors.
