Expired drug racket in Gaya: More heads set to roll as probe nears conclusion

The probe committee inquiring into the recovery of a huge quantity of expired drugs from the central drug store of the Gaya JPN Hospital, about eight months ago, on Monday, sought all the files pertaining to purchase, storage and distribution of the drugs for further screening.

With startling details about irregularities in the distribution of the drugs to different hospitals and primary health centres (PHCs) surfacing, more heads are set to roll as the investigation into the stunning discovery heads towards a conclusion over the next 10 days or so. .

The five-member probe committee constituted by the civil surgeon Dr Babban Kunwar, at the behest of the Magadh Division commissioner Jitendra Srivastava, unsealed the central drug store on Sunday and the entire process was videographed to maintain the sanctity of the investigation.

The probe committee is also examining whether expired drugs were supplied to the health centers and government hospitals and in what quantity.

Although the Gaya civil surgeon rejected the suggestion that expired drugs may have been supplied to hospitals and health centers, he admitted everything was within the ambit of the probe. “Facts regarding the supply of expired drugs will come out after the screening of the stock registers, which is still underway”, he said.

The probe committee is now preparing the list of the drugs stored in the central drug store as neither the stock register nor the distribution files are up-to-date. Besides, the committee is also exerting efforts to find out the details of the distribution of the drugs to the hospitals and health centers.

Sources claimed that the expired drugs racket had been flourishing since 2006 and the status report of the drugs was prepared only after the end of a financial year. No status report was available for the purchase and distribution of drugs during the current financial year. 

The state drug authorities, during a random inspection of the JPN Hospital central drug store, about eight months ago, had stumbled upon serious irregularities in the store. The drug inspector, Ashok Yadav, had written to the Gaya civil surgeon to order a probe into the irregularities.

Following the initial investigation report. submitted to him by the drug inspector, in January last, the civil surgeon had sought explanation from the store in-charge and the pharmacist but they did not submit their explanations. The matter went into the cold storage.

It surfaced again when the Magadh division commissioner Jitendra Srivastav initiated efforts to streamline the functioning of the health centers and hospitals. 

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