Delhi govt urges MHA to assign probe into supply of 'sub-standard' drugs to hospitals to CBI

New Delhi: The Delhi government's Directorate of Vigilance wrote to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Thursday, requesting it to assign the probe into the supply of "sub-standard" drugs to state-run hospitals to the CBI.

Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena last week recommended a CBI inquiry into the alleged supply of drugs that "failed quality standard tests" and had the "potential of endangering lives" to hospitals run by the city government.

"I am further directed to state that any action for supplying such kind of 'Not of Standard Quality' drugs should not be confined to the Central Procurement Agency (CPA) and there is a need to investigate the entire supply chain -- the role of the suppliers who procured from manufacturers and provided supply to the end users, that is, hospitals (patients).

"Besides, there is a need to lift the corporate veil to understand the gravity and motives of supplying 'Not of Standard Quality' drugs," read the communication of the Directorate of Vigilance to the Union ministry.

The drugs that were found to be of "sub-standard quality" included critical life-saving antibiotics used for the treatment of lung and urinary tract infections -- Cephalexin -- according to officials.

They also included a steroid -- Dexamethasone -- for curing life-threatening inflammation in the lungs and joints and swelling in the body, anti-epilepsy and anti-anxiety psychiatric drug Levetiracetam and anti-hypertension drug Amlodepin, the officials said.

"In this context, it is not out of place to mention that the matter of 'Mohalla Clinics' was already entrusted to the CBI and a Preliminary Enquiry (PE) was also registered.... It needs to be investigated whether the same drugs which have been procured by the Central Procurement Agency (CPA) are also being distributed to the patients through the 'Mohalla Clinics' or not," the communication read.

Citing Saxena's recommendation for a CBI inquiry, it said: "Hon'ble Lt Governor, Delhi, considering the aforesaid facts based on material records, has directed that 'the matter of Mohalla Clinics is already entrusted to CBI, this case, which may, inter alia, also involve supply of these failed 'Not of Standard Quality' drugs to such clinics may also be entrusted to the central agency, especially in light of the fact that the investigation therein involves multi inter-state stakeholders, including DHS, GNCTD, suppliers and dealers, manufacturers in other states and state agencies."

"It is accordingly requested that the matter be assigned to the Central Bureau of Investigation for further investigation," it added.

According to a vigilance department report that was submitted to the LG, of the 43 samples of drugs that were sent to government laboratories, three failed the test and 12 reports were pending. Further, out of another 43 samples sent to private laboratories, five failed.

Drugs, such as Amlodipine, Levetiracetam and Pantoprazole, failed the test in both government and private laboratories. Cephalexin and Dexamethasone failed the test in private laboratories.

The reports of 11 samples are pending with a government laboratory in Chandigarh.

The test reports concluded that the drugs that have failed the test are "not of standard quality", the officials said.