LUCKNOW : Medicines worth a whopping Rs 16.5 crore that had long expired and were not supplied to any hospital in the state for public use, were on Friday found stocked at the godown of the UP Medical Supplies Corporation Limited in Transport Nagar area of the city. Sources said that the cost of the expired drugs was more than the budget provided to Balrampur hospital, a district-level facility, for procurement of medicines through UPMSCL last year.
The discovery was made during a raid by deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak who also holds the health and medical education portfolios. After gross anomaly came to fore, the DyCM ordered a probe to be conducted in three days to fix responsibility and decide on action against culprits.
The drugs, which were found to have expired in early 2021, included medicines for cardiology patients, saline liquids, medicines used during the initial period of Covid-19 which were later discontinued, and medicines included in the treatment of Covid-19. Injections for various diseases, which had to be stored in a cool and dry environment of 20-25 degrees Celsius, were also lying in unhygienic conditions in the city’s blazing heat, often crossing 45 degrees Celsius.
“During the inspection, we asked for a list of medicines on the UPMSCL portal and matched the computed list with medicines present in the godown. Expired drugs worth nearly Rs 16.5 crore were found. These were neither sent to the hospitals nor returned to companies before the period of expiration was reached,” said DyCM Brajesh Pathak.
“This is a major fault and a probe under the additional chief secretary, health and medical services, has been ordered. Secretary in the medical education department, Pranjal Yadav, who accompanied us during the inspection, will be taking forward the inquiry and submit the report in three days for action,” he added.
During the inspection, the deputy CM checked several cartons containing drugs, noting the expiry dates of the drugs and injections and seeking answers from officials on duty. However, amidst a pile of dust and dirt and absence of a cool and dry environment for medicines, he criticised the lack of organisation of the storage unit and official apathy towards life-saving drugs.
