Karnataka health and family welfare department has taken decision to suspend three officials from the State Drugs Control department who are now working at its Drug Test Laboratory following submission of a false data about a drug.
The three officials are Sudha Swamy, chief scientific officer, Mohammed Saifuddin Rubbani, government analyst and Girish M K, junior officer. They allegedly certified drug Celiya used in the treatment of fertility manufactured by Cadila Pharma as ‘qualified’ despite negative report in the test and analysis.
An investigation by the Upalokayukta Justice Subhash B Adi found that drug samples of Celiya with the active ingredient clomiphene citrate tablets were certified as ‘qualified’ when it indicated not of standard quality content in the test analysis.
Health and Family welfare department, principal secretary N Sivasailam, has submitted before the Upalokyakuta that the case will be entrusted to Lokayukta, an anti-corruption ombudsman for disciplinary action enquiry according to the service rules.
The drug samples of Celiya were returned to the government analyst for the repetition of the test. After three repetitive tests, chief scientific officer approved the report and the information was made known to the retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers to prevent the sale of the drug. It is gathered that the Drug Test Lab repeated test and the report indicated as ‘test passed.’
According to Raghurama Bhandary, Karnataka drugs controller, all the three staff of the Drug Test Laboratory were responsible for arbitrary and negligent testing.
The chief scientific officer had refrained from informing the higher authorities regarding the approval of the test report as Not of Standard Quality and then changing it to standard quality even after the information had reached the chemists, hospitals pharmacies and general practitioners. The Celiya which is a Schedule H drug mandates a prescription for sale.
The drug was picked up by the state drugs control department’s enforcement officers during the inspection drive undertaken on all pharmacy outlets at frequent intervals. Now the department of health and family welfare is expected to take disciplinary investigation as well as criminal proceedings if necessary against the officers and the matter has been posted for further hearing on September 30,2014 before the Upalokayukta, said the sources.