Centre Orders CBI Probe In Delhi 'Fake Medicines' Case

The Home Ministry has ordered a CBI investigation in the Delhi 'fake medicines' case on the recommendation of Delhi LG VK Saxena.

The Home Ministry has ordered a CBI investigation in the Delhi 'fake medicines' case on the recommendation of Delhi LG VK Saxena. ( Image Source :PTI )

The Union Home Ministry has ordered a CBI investigation in the Delhi 'fake medicines' case on the recommendation of Delhi LG VK Saxena. The Home Ministry ordered the CBI to register an FIR in the case. This comes after the Delhi Government's vigilance department on Thursday referred the matter of spurious drugs to the Home Ministry for a CBI inquiry. 

Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena had previously written to the probe agency and requested an investigation into the case. The move came based on the Delhi Vigilance Department's report on allegedly forged drugs found in government hospitals

According to the report, the vigilance department launched an investigation based on samples of substandard drugs collected from prominent Delhi government hospitals such as LNJP, DDU, and IHBAS. The vigilance department determined that the drugs were of poor quality. The vigilance department asked to withdraw certain medicines from the stock because they were found to be "not of standard quality".

After vigilance department's order, Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj on Sunday asked the health department to make alternative arrangements immediately to avoid a drug shortage in government health facilities in the city.

Amlodipine (for high blood pressure), levetiracetam (for seizures), pantoprazole (for excess stomach acid), cephalexin (antibiotic), and dexamethasone (steroid) are among the five drugs ordered to be removed from the supply.

On Saturday, Bharadwaj said that the LG inquiry into fake drugs was ordered selectively, with no action taken against "sub-standard consumables" purchased from central government portals. The development came a day after LG Saxena and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government clashed over the alleged supply of substandard drugs and consumables to government hospitals, for which Saxena ordered a CBI investigation.