Technical experts and physicians of Siddha medical system in Tamil Nadu have alleged that the purchase orders given to manufacturing companies in 2013 for supply of medicines to the Siddha wings of the ESI hospitals in the state were placed without the approval of the expert committee of Siddha doctors.

According to them, all decisions on the medicine requirements are taken by the director of medical services (DMS) of ESI, who is an allopathic doctor. Currently no expert committee is working or formed any resource panel of Siddha physicians to discuss matters related to medicines and purchase orders. There are 32 Siddha/Ayurveda dispensaries attached to the ESI hospitals across Tamil Nadu.

One Siddha expert said to Pharmabiz that the list of medicines to be supplied to the dispensaries contained patent and proprietary drugs and most of the drugs supplied to the hospitals were not from the essential drug list of 2013 (EDL) published by government of India. The EDL is the guide for purchasing medicines for the government run hospitals and dispensaries. He added that no analytical reports were enclosed along with the medicines supplied by the companies and there was no proof of quality standards tested.

Sources said the DMS allegedly placed the purchase orders with two manufacturing companies, one of which is owned by the relative of the chairman of the Siddha pharmacopoeia committee (SPC). They alleged that the chairman of the SPC misused his powers to sell medicines which were not listed in the essential drug list, created by the SPC and published by the department of Ayush.

The amount of the purchase order given to one company for supply to each hospital was Rs.9 lakh and for another company it was Rs.7.5 lakh. The sources said none of the doctors in the dispensaries sent any intent for the medicines. One doctor had placed some order for a few medicines two years ago.

Another allegation made by Siddha doctors is that no centre has the financial capacity for Rs.16-17 lakh per year and the quantum of medicines cannot be consumed before the expiry date and will they go waste.

The patients coming to the Siddha wings at the ESI hospitals are labourers covered by ESI benefits, but the essential medicines for their clinical conditions are not in the list of purchase orders.