Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the procurement and supply of alleged spurious and non-standard drugs, including some live-saving medicines, in the Delhi government hospitals and Mohalla Clinics.

Directing the Chief Secretary for action, the LG said, “These drugs procured by spending huge budgetary resources are a grave threat to public health and safety and have the potential of endangering lives of people. Prima facie, apart from Central Procurement Agency (CPA)-Delhi Health Services (DHS), GNCTD there are suppliers, manufacturers situated in other states and Drug Controllers in those states associated in this whole exercise.”

“Accordingly, since the matter of Mohalla Clinics is already entrusted to CBI, this case, which may, inter alia, also involve supply of these failed ‘not of standard quality’ drugs to such clinics, may also be entrusted to the Central agency, especially in light of the fact that the investigation therein involves multi inter-state stakeholders including CPA-DHS, suppliers/dealers, manufacturers in other states and other state agencies,” Saxena was quoted as saying by his office.

The move came after the Drug Controller under Health Department of Delhi, on the basis of complaints regarding “sub-standard” medicines being supplied in Delhi government hospitals, randomly collected the drug samples from IHBAS, Lok Nayak and Deen Dayal Upadhyay hospitals and sent them to the approved government and private labs for testing, the LG office said.

The complainants claimed that these frequently-used medicines given in these hospitals were “ineffective” on the patients, it said.

“The reports of the labs were sent by the Drug Controller and the Department of Health for further necessary action to the Directorate of Vigilance (DoV). The DoV, based on test reports, found that more than 10 per cent of the drug/medicine samples failed and were found to be not of standard quality,” the statement said.

According to the Vigilance Department, out of 43 samples that were sent to government labs, three samples failed the test as 12 reports are still pending. Further, out of another 43 samples sent to private labs, five samples failed, it said.

“Drugs such as Amlodipine, Levetiracetam and Pantoprazole failed in both government as well as private labs. Further, Cephalexin, Dexamethasone failed in private labs. Reports of 11 samples are pending with the government lab of Chandigarh. The test reports concluded that those drugs which have failed the test are of not of standard quality,” it said.

The Vigilance Department recommended that since more than 10 per cent samples have failed, the department should also increase the scope of sampling and immediately stop the distribution of such medicines, it added.

“The DoV has also sought to investigate the role of suppliers, other than the CPA, who procured such drugs/medicines from the manufacturers and supplied them to the hospitals,’ the LG office said.

“There is a need to lift the corporate veil to understand the gravity and motive of supplying not of standard quality drugs, the DoV recommended, while also suggesting to blacklist these companies/dealers,” it added.

Meanwhile, sources in the Delhi government have claimed that a complaint against the officer has been made in this regard with the LG.