The medical college pharmacies in Kerala seem to have become breeding grounds for rampant corruption, thanks to the apathetic attitude of the state government's Directorate of Medical Education (DME) in appointing store verification officers. There are allegations of smuggling of medical equipments and medicines worth lakhs of rupees from these pharmacies to sell them outside, leaving the poor patients high and dry.

Kerala Government Pharmacists Association general secretary KC Ajith Kumar alleged that smuggling of equipments and medicines from the hospitals for selling it outside has been going on in Kerala for a long time now. Recently, goods worth nearly three lakhs were allegedly smuggled from Kottayam Medical College Hospital and the government has ordered a probe into the issue.

Ajith Kumar said that in the year 1996, after a similar incident in the Calicut Medical College Hospital, the government had formed a committee and asked it to submit a report. The report submitted by the committee asked the government to implement certain steps to curb recurrence of such incidents.

The committee wanted the government to implement the ward pharmacy system, appointment of qualified person in the storage facility, checking of stocks by qualified personnel, etc. For the purpose of checking the stocks, the committee recommended two teams: one for Kozhikode and Thrissur medical colleges and the other for Alleppey, Kottayam and Thiruvananthapuram medical colleges.

Turning a blind eye towards the recommendation of the committee, there has been no initiative from the government so far in appointing stock verification officers, even as smuggling of goods continues unabated. He said that there were no proper accounts or documentation of stocks in the medical college pharmacies and this was the reason why the culprits could easily smuggle the goods from the hospitals to line their pockets.

Commenting on the number of staff personnel needed for stock verification, Ajith Kumar said that there was a need for five members in each team. A store verification officer, storekeeper, typist, clerk and a peon were needed in each team to carry out the procedures properly.

He said that while the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) of Kerala had appointed nearly 13 stock verification officers for monitoring its pharmacies and have been conducting inspections annually, it was a mystery why the DME is neglecting the issue.

"Now the government, without forming any committee, has asked the officials to probe the issue. But it is alleged that such offences are committed with the connivance of the government officials. Even the Subhadra Committee report had not been circulated to the medical colleges. It is not known why the government chose to keep it under wrap," a source said.

When the Directorate of Medical Education of Kerala was contacted, sources in the department told that they had requested the DHS to send their stock verification team for checking the medical college pharmacies too.

The source informed that though the Medical College Pharmacies come under the purview of the DME, the staff and concerns were under the control of the DHS. "This is the problem we have been facing. The dual control of the administration has put us in dilemma. When the pharmacies are under our control the pharmacist and other related staff members come under the control of the DHS," said a highly informed source.