JAMMU
Medical devices worth over Rs 2 crore being sold illegally near Government Super Speciality Hospital (SSH), Jammu were seized on Wednesday by Bakshi Nagar police, which after interrogation of the accused handed over the case to Drug and Food Controller Organization, Jammu for further investigation. SDPO Bakshi Nagar, Sugandha Mahajan, when contacted, said that the persons, who were selling the surgical items in the cars, were from authorized firms and they had all documents including licenses and sale letters. She said there was no cognizable offence except a loophole that instead of selling the medical devices in retail outlets they were selling them like vendors. She further said that as this does not come in their jurisdiction therefore the case has been handed over to Drug and Controller Organization, Jammu. When contacted, Drug Controller, Lotika Sharma, admitted that the police have handover the case along with seized material to them. She disclosed that the seized medical devices were worth about Rs 1.2 crore. Meanwhile, sources in the Super Speciality Hospital, Jammu told Excelsior that some staff members of the GMC Jammu and SSH Jammu including doctors are hand in glove with these firms, as without their involvement it is not possible for someone to sell surgical devices to the patients and attendants in such an illegal manner. They said how a patient or an attendant can know that someone is selling surgical items like a vendor in a street, it is possible only if someone from the hospital tells them to go there. Principal, GMC Jammu, Dr Zaheed Geelani, when contacted, said that we do not have any concern with the case, as nobody was selling the medicines or medical devices in hospital premises. “Whatever has happened, it happened outside hospital premises and the concerned agency is investigating into the matter”, he said and ruled out that anybody from GMC Jammu and SSH Jammu are hand in glove with these firms.
