Expensive medicines procured for GHs do not reach poor: HC

CHENNAI: In order to express its anguish, the Madras High Court on Thursday observed that expensive and high-end medicines and pharma products procured for Government Hospitals are not reaching the poor and downtrodden patients who visit the GHs.

Justice SM Subramaniam further noted that the records are being made that the medicines are provided to poor patients.

“It seems the health department and the private pharma companies are hand in glove, ” the judge observed.

He further observed that marketing expired medicines and pharma products is serious issue and needs to be addressed immediately.

The judge made these scathing remarks on hearing a petition filed by Muthumalai Rani, a former in-charge of a pharmaceutical store room attached to the Coimbatore GH. The petitioner sought direction to the State government to release her pension and pay benefits which were stopped due to disciplinary actions.

When the matter came before the judge today, the State informed that it has been working to find out the reason for the outbreak of various diseases and about the functioning of the pharma companies in the State. The government sought time to file a detailed counter in connection with these subjects.

Recording the submissions, the judge directed the State government to file a report on this issue by November 4.

It could be recalled that during the last hearing the judge asked whether the pharma firms are the reason behind the outbreak of epidemic diseases.