In wake of confirmation by Kolkata-based Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL) that substandard and counterfeit medicines were used in Balod eye camp in which several patients lost their eyesight after undergoing surgery, Congress on Thursday alleged that the government was playing with the public health.
“Chief Minister Raman Singh and Health Minister Amar Agrawal should step down on moral grounds after CDL revelation,” said Congress spokesperson Sushil Anand Shukla.
“This is only a tip of the iceberg. The Balod episode reiterated in Kawardha and Rajnandgaon eye camps where once again many patients lost their eyesight. On testing, the medicines used in these camps would also be found substandard and counterfeit,” he said claiming that over 100 patients lost their eyesight while five died after surgery in the three camps.
“The Health Minister, instead of taking action against the guilty doctors, gave series of irresponsible statements. Moreover, when Durg Collector recommended for action against some of the guilty doctors, the minister came into their rescue,” he charged.
He pointed that the government too came into action after Congress complained about the eye camp incidents to Governor. “However, many eye victims have not yet received Rs 50000 compensation announced by the government on Governor’s directives,” he said.
“The Health department is interested in achieving targets of eye surgeries through camps and is least bothered if patients complain of eye infected of lost of eyesight,” he added.
“The government receives huge fund from Centre under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB) to conduct free eye surgeries but it simply do formality by organising eye camps where corruption dominates as medicines and surgery equipment lack quality,” he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment