'Drugs controller gave pills at will'

BANGALORE: Even as small pharmaceutical companies supplied spurious and unbranded drugs to primary health centres (PHCs) and government hospitals, drugs controller R. Anand Rajasekhar did not initiate any action against the companies, deputy drugs controller M N Ramamurthy said.
Deposing before Lok Ayukta N. Venkatachala during the hearing on the Rs 300 crore drugs scam here, Ramamurthy said these companies misused the names of public sector undertakings like Hindustan Antibiotics Limited, Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Limited and M/s Bengal Immunity Limited and sold Gentamycin (eye and ear drops) to hospitals.Interestingly, the district health officer (Bangalore rural) Nagappa purchased drugs from two such companies — M/s P.K. Pharma and M/s Quality Pharma and distributed it to PHCs and hospitals.
"The DHO also instructed the stores-in-charge to distribute drugs to various dispensaries to avoid any inspection. These companies sold drugs in the name of big companies in connivance with government officials. When I inquired with big companies they said they have not supplied any drugs to these pharmaceuticals", Ramamurthy said.
Minister''s hand? Ramamurthy also produced a letter written by drugs controller R. Anand Rajasekhar on October 16, 2000, where medical education minister A.B. Maalaka Raddy had given oral instructions to him to take a "linenient" view of an incident, where a private company had sold drugs to the Jayanagar general hospital in excess of the maximum retail price (MRP) resulting in Rs 91,005 loss to the government.
Last week, the minister said he would meet Justice Venkatachala to clarify his stand on the Rs 300 drugs scam following his name repeatedly figuring during the drugs scam hearing. "We have not received any communication from the minister in this regard", Lok Ayukta sources said.