Use of ‘time expired’ medicines in Odisha: NHRC registers case

Reported by Chinmaya Dehury
Bhubaneswar, July 30:

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) today admitted a case against the administration of time expired medicine to patients in Odisha health institutions.

medicinesActing on a complaint filed by human rights activist Subash Mohapatra, the Commission registered a case and scheduled the first hearing in the matter for next week.

Mohapatra, based on the CAG report, has filed the case seeking the Commission’s intervention.

“It is unfortunate that the health authorities are creating health hazards in the state by administering medicines that have exceeded the expiry date. It is the violation of the right to life of the people of Odisha”, the petition said.

The matter is required to be investigated by an independent authority to take disciplinary action against the concerned authorities involved in the matter and to prevent further malpractice during the investigation, Mohapatra added.

It is to be noted that the CAG in its report tabled in the Assembly had said 31 types of time expired medicines valued at Rs 0.74 lakh were administered during 2007-13 to patients in four out of the eight test checked districts. The districts are Cuttack, Jajpur, Mayurbhanj and Sundargarh. The expiry medicines included tablets and injection vials.

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