037. Kerala Health Service being sold out wholesale to British.

Kerala govt to ink pact with London-based NICE to revitalize health sector in the state

By Pharma Biz

Peethaambaran Kunnathoor, Chennai
Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Amid reports that the health sector in Kerala is bedeviled by many problems that have led to reduction in quality of service delivery in certain health institutions, the state government has decided to ink a pact with the London based National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to revitalize the entire health services in the state.

The tie-up will be for the next three years and with the intervention of NICE, best standard could be maintained in all spheres of health sector in the state, said Rajeev Sadanandan, principal secretary, health, government of Kerala. He was speaking at the valedictory session of the pharmacists’ conference at Thiruvananthapuram recently. The total system will become in a systematic and proper way and separate guidelines for treatment, medicine, services of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other para medical professionals will come into force. In future, there will not be any variation in the treatment, he said.

NICE, an arm of the national health services of the UK government, provides independent, authoritative and evidence-based guidance on the most effective ways to prevent, diagnose and treat disease and ill health, reducing inequalities and variation.

“For the next three years, the department will be monitored by NICE, strict vigilance and standard can be maintained in each and every area of the health sector. They will carry out assessments of the most appropriate treatment regimes for different diseases. This will help the desired medical outcomes for patients. The use of new and existing medicines, treatments, clinical practice, guidance on treatment procedures, advice to patients and public sector workers on health promotion and ill-health avoidance will be provided by the experts of the organisation,” the health secretary said.

There are reports that the health sector in Kerala is bedeviled by many problems that have led to reduction in quality of service delivery in certain health institutions. Besides, unavailability of medicines in hospitals, high prices for essential drugs, inadequacy of sufficient staff and strikes by nurses have also affected the sector badly. The government is looking for a concrete solution to all these issues without chance for recurrence, it is learnt.

The health secretary said that in the next session of the state Legislative Assembly, the government will introduce the Clinical Establishment Bill which will standardize the fee being levied by private hospitals and clinical institutions for various services. Further, drug rationalization committee will also be formed in all district hospitals, which will prepare the list of medicines to be distributed under a scheme for providing generic drugs from November 1. In all the government hospitals in Kerala, generic medicines will be available on reasonable rates and a treatment protocol will also come into force from November, he added.

Regarding predicament of pharmacies in the hospital, the principal health secretary said he would look into the possibility of standardization of pharmacies and try to get accreditation from NABH for model pharmacies in the state. By receiving the set of guidelines prepared by the pharmacy council, he said the Council as well as the pharmacists association has to ensure the value addition to the health sector from their side.

Link: http://www.pharmabiz.com/NewsDetails.aspx?aid=70748&sid=1

Republished here by courtesy of Pharma Biz. Com


Comment:

There was an independent and reliable system of medicine-actually a system of a combination of ingenious and native treatment and nourishing system- existing in India before the British installed allopathy and revamped the field of Indian Medical Attendance. Today, almost all indigenous systems including the world famous ayurveda are ignored and neglected and only allopathy is being given importance and monopoly. In India, even now, poor people when they are sick, can still go to a government hospital and become healthy again, availing the benefits of the famous Free Indian Hospital System. It is when we have no money and therefore no nutrition that diseases afflict us. Therefore this free hospital system has been a great blessing to the Indian masses. It has been what sustained the people of India through their years of sickness. The money involved in retaining this system was people’s money, not the dowry money of Indian Health Authorities. It is the same money which funds the treatment of Government Ministers, MPs VIPs and Government Secretaries abroad; there is no shame in people regaining their health by availing free treatment. The very people in India who are directly partaking in bringing about this sale deed of a country's good will and charity are beneficiaries of this Free Indian Hospital System which they are going to abolish for ever. Which one of them does not receive free hospital care from government?

In the United Kingdom there is now no free hospital treatment. Either you pay money at the hospital or you pay money in advance for insurance. This is exactly what the British monitoring of Kerala Health Services Department is going to bring to Kerala. It is a full implementation of the British Health System, minus everything good in it. The first thing they are going to force without caring people’s resistance is abolishing every kind of free medical assistance. What is a collapsing British economy finding prospectful in extending managerial assistance to the health care sector of a thriving former colony, except exporting over-paid excess staff? -Editor-in-Chief.

036. Now anyone rich to study abroad can practice in India without tests.

Centre plans to allow overseas Indian medical graduates to practice without tests.

By Pharma Biz

Our Bureau, New Delhi
Friday, January 04, 2013

Centre is planning to amend the Medical Council of India (MCI) Act to allow  Indian doctors, who have graduated abroad, to practice in India without the mandatory tests and clearance.

A bill in this regard has been drafted by the Union health ministry which plans to push it during the Budget session of the Parliament, Union Health Secretary P K Pradhan disclosed at the ongoing Global Healthcare Summit in Kerala recently.

Soliciting ideas and partnerships from the private sector, Pradhan said the Government was planning to improve the secondary care by upgrading the district hospitals. “There is a huge scope for partnership with the private sector in the areas like diagnostic services and labs. We will encourage district hospitals to run medical college campuses to augment the capacity in PG education and private players can help in this area,” he said at the CEO Forum in connection with the meet.

Speaking on the occasion, managing director of Sami Labs Dr Muhammed said his company was inspired by Ayurveda, the mother of all sciences. “We have developed two natural drugs, one for glaucoma and another for treating psoriasis first time in the country. Three other drugs are in the pipeline,’’ he said.

DM Healthcare chairman Dr Azad Moopen suggested that the forum should be utilized to firm up concrete partnership, to begin with the idea of setting up medical colleges in each district. To achieve the inclusive growth, he also called upon the government to think of levying Sin tax on alcohol and even on soft drinks to part finance a proper social insurance scheme, a release said.

“On improving the quality, the Government can do it easily. Instead of voluntary systems of accreditation, government should make it mandatory for all clinical establishments to have certificates like that from NABH,” he argued.

Device Controller of India Dr Eswara Reddy, Chairman of Medical Council of India Dr K K Talwar, Principal Health Secretary in Kerala Shri Rajeev Sadanandan, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences medical director Dr Prem Nair, president of American Medical Association Dr Jeremy Lazarus, Health Attache from US Embassy in Delhi Mr Stevan Smith, Dr Rajan Badwe of Tata Institute, Dr Philip Augustine of Lakeshore Hospital, Mr Bob Miglani of Pfizer, Dr K M Cherian of Frontier Healthcare, Dr Neal Simon of American University of Antigua, Dr M Sahadulla of KIMS, Tridvandrum and Dr Faizal Khan of NIMS were among those to attend the high-profile meet.

Link: http://www.pharmabiz.com/NewsDetails.aspx?aid=73014&sid=1

Republished here by courtesy of Pharma Biz.Com

Comment: 

Some fathers will go to any extreme to make their nincompoop sons and daughters doctors, and they will get anyone’s help too. It was the dream of all low-grade medical students who study abroad to practice in India without undergoing the stringent tests and examinations of India- the hall mark of Indian medicine which placed Indian doctors in much demand abroad. Now that dream is being fulfilled by rich fathers who are in total control of authority.

035. Major pharma companies behind vigilance raid: Drug Control Officers.

Major pharma companies behind vigilance raid in drug control offices in Kerala: KSDCOA

By Pharma Biz. Com

Peethaambaran Kunnathoor, Chennai

Friday, August 17, 2012

The Kerala State Drugs Control Officers Association (KSDCOA) has said that the allegations being levelled against the state drug control administration by a section of the media on account of a state-wide vigilance raid at the drug control offices last week are baseless and ill-motivated.

According to the Association, there are certain major pharmaceutical companies behind the vigilance raid, against whom the department has recently initiated punitive action for violations of various sections in the Drugs and Cosmetics Act (D&C Act).

KSDCOA has admitted that a performance audit conducted at the DC offices by the office of the Accountant General last year had raised the eyebrows of the auditing officers on the functioning of the enforcement officers. The association said the reason for the AG’s criticisms were due to lack of awareness about legislation and ground realities.

The enforcement officers said Rule 63 of the drugs and cosmetics rules stipulates that once an application for renewal is received on time, the licence is deemed to be in force until the application is disposed off. So there is no need of worry in any way for the trader or dealer. However, they maintained that the reason for the delay in issuing the licence was shortage of staff in the offices.

Regarding delay in issuing test results of samples, the association said the D&C Act foresees no role for the drug control officers in testing of drugs, which is the duty and responsibility of the government analysts attached to the drug testing laboratory. But the officers have admitted that most of the test results are obtained after the drugs were consumed by the patients. Here also, the officers found the reason for the delay is shortage of staff, machinery and laboratories.

By reiterating the fact that the state authorities have no role in price fixation of drugs, the drug control officers said they have not shied away from taking punitive actions against the dealer whenever a case of charging of excess price or refusal of drugs was detected.

While admitting that there are instances of corruption in the department as in other spheres of life, they said several of the officers are doing honest job to keep the state free from spurious and sub-standard drugs. They claimed that Kerala drugs control department is the first government agency in the country to launch prosecution against the pharma companies which had refused supply of drugs to a section of traders at the instance of All Kerala Chemists & Druggists Association (AKCDA). The incessant flow of drugs to the state owned Karunya Community Pharmacies has taken place due to the intervention of the department by initiating action against AKCDA, the association opined.

Link: http://www.pharmabiz.com/NewsDetails.aspx?aid=70665&sid=1

Republished here by courtesy of Pharma Biz.Com

034. Vigilance raid in Kerala Drug Control Offices.

Vigilance dept conducts raids in drug control offices across Kerala

By Pharma Biz

Peethaambaran Kunnathoor, Chennai
Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Sleuths of the directorate of vigilance and anti-corruption (DVAC) in Kerala conducted simultaneous raids in all the Assistant Drug Controllers’ and Drug Inspectors’ offices across the state on August 10 following informal complaints of rampant corruption against drug control officers, said a senior officer in the DVAC.

The vigilance officer said the department was receiving a slew of complaints from the drug traders from all the districts on alleged demand of bribery by drug inspectors and senior officials for renewal of the traders’ licences and for test reports from labs. According to him the drug control officials are deliberately delaying the services of the concerned offices for not giving them money as bribe by the traders.

He said his team has seized Rs.11000 from a drug inspector’s pocket during the raid. More cases of corruption are being investigated and surprise raids will be conducted further in all the offices, if needed.

Speaking to Pharmabiz, the officer of the anti-corruption department said all the problems pertaining to the price, quality, standard and availability of drugs are occurred in the state due to the inefficient way of operations of the drug control department. He said the department’s lackadaisical attitude is the main cause for the distribution of sub-standard quality drugs in the state.

However, he admitted that there is heavy work load in analytical laboratory of the department because of shortage of staff, but renewal of licences is delayed for collecting money from traders.

The vigilance officer, who led the team in the capital for raid, said a drug inspector asks for Rs.1000 per week from each medical store and senior officers demand a sum of Rs.5000 to find solutions for the traders’ problems with the government. When asked whether such cases of corruption were received against ayurvedic drug inspectors, he said there were some cases.

When contacted, state drugs controller CS Satheesh Kumar said there are limitations in the facilities of the drug testing lab, hence the test reports are getting delayed. Regarding renewal of licences, he said once the application is given for renewal, the trader can go on with his business until the department releases the renewed certificate and the delay does not affect his business.

Further he said there is shortage of drug inspectors and analysts in the department, and once the new lab under construction in Kochi is commissioned, all the problems will be solved.

The anti-corruption bureau has termed the operation as ‘Operation Tablet’. The officials inspected some retail shops to find out any irregularity and took stock of the situation.

This was the first time the vigilance conducted a raid in all the offices of the DC administration in the state. DVAC will submit a comprehensive report on the state wide raid to the government shortly for further action.

Link: http://www.pharmabiz.com/NewsDetails.aspx?aid=70622&sid=1

Republished here by courtesy of Pharma Biz.Com

033. Do Not Build Drug Testing Labs So That Culprits Shall Escape.

Meagre allocation of funds by state govt holds up completion of Kochi drug testing lab

By Pharma Biz

Peethaambaran Kunnathoor, Chennai
Thursday, March 21, 2013

The plan to commission the second drug testing laboratory of the Kerala drugs control department, being constructed at Ernakulam, is unlikely to be a reality in the near future owing to paucity of funds for the project. Even the completion of the building work is being held up. 

The state government has allocated only Rs.2 crore in the budget for three proposed drug testing laboratories including the Kochi lab. But, even for the completion of the on-going work at Kochi lab requires a minimum of Rs.6 crore, sources from the health department told Pharmabiz.

The department of drugs control had submitted proposals to the government with a plan outlay for Rs.24 crore for all the three labs. For completing the on-going project of Kochi Lab, it submitted a proposal for Rs.8 crore and to start work for the other two laboratories at Thrissur and at Kozhikodu, two more projects of the same amount were submitted.

Unfortunately, the state government did not accepted any of the proposals putting the upcoming project at Kochi into trouble. Due to scarcity of funds, the work of the lab cannot be completed as expected and commissioning of it was slated for May this year but will be delayed, it is learnt.

“The work of the Kochi laboratory is moving at a snail’s pace. We expected a minimum of Rs.6 crore to complete the work and commissioning of the lab planned in May this year. But government has sanctioned only a meagre amount for this project. This means that work for other two labs is also not able to start this year. The only hope is the diversion of unutilised funds from other departments towards this purpose and we are waiting for that,” said an official close to the department.

Currently, the department has only one drug testing laboratory situated close to the office of the department at Thiruvananthapuram and it has a capacity for testing 4000 samples per year. Whereas, the estimated capacity for the upcoming Kochi lab is 6000 samples. The total number of field staff collection is near about 300 samples per month. Due to lack of modern facilities and shortage of technical staff, all the samples can not be tested on time and delays the result for even one year. By the time, all the substandard or date expired drugs might have been sold out in the market. So, the state needs more drug testing labs with modern machinery in order to strengthen the regulatory mechanism, sources said.

Link: http://www.pharmabiz.com/NewsDetails.aspx?aid=74398&sid=1

Republished here by courtesy of Pharma Biz. Com

032. NHRC issues notice to Kerala Health Department for causing eye sight losses.

NHRC issues notice to Kerala Health Department. 

By The Hindu
September 3, 2013

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notice to the Department of Health and Family Welfare of Kerala on reports that four persons lost their eyesight allegedly after undergoing cataract surgery in Thrissur Medical College.

A notice in this regard has been issued to the Principal Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Kerala to submit a report on the matter within four weeks, a National Human Rights Commission release issued on Tuesday said.

The notice was issued after the Commission took suo motu cognisance of a media report that four persons, who had undergone cataract surgery in Thrissur Medical College two weeks ago, lost vision in their right eye.

The Commission observed that the press report, if true, raised a serious issue of violation of right to health of the victims.

More than a dozen cataract surgeries were reportedly conducted at the Taluk hospital from July 22 to August 5 this year.

Link: http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/nhrc-issues-notice-to-kerala-health-department/article5088855.ece

Republished here by courtesy of The Hindu

Comment: 

Read here soon about the notorious open air eye surgery camps in Kerala, which were convened for mere political popularity, resulting in eye sight loss to hundreds of good citizens, with no compensation payments or punishments.

031. Historic medical compensation of Rs.6 Crores for doctors’ negligence awarded by Supreme Court

1. Record medical negligence compensation: SC orders hospital, doctors to pay Rs 6 crore

Editorial Team
First News
October 24, 2013

The Supreme Court on Thursday awarded Rs.5.96 crore compensation to Kunal Saha, an Indian-American doctor, ordering the Kolkata-based Advance Medicare Research Institute (AMRI) to pay for medical negligence resulting in the death of his wife Anuradha Saha in 1998.

A bench of Justice C.K. Prasad and Justice V. Gopala Gowda passed the order on an appeal by Saha, who had challenged the compensation of Rs.1.72 crore awarded by National Consumer Forum.  Welcoming the verdict, Saha said the ‘historic’ judgement should rekindle hope for countless victims. The US-based NRI said it should tell many honest and caring doctors it is time to step forward and cleanse the system. ‘If you let a few corrupt and politically connected doctors to run the show, all doctors will continue to share the blame and will never be able to restore public trust that we had not so long ago,’ he said in a statement.

The apex court earlier held some of the doctors of the hospital liable for criminal liability. The court directed that the hospital would pay the compensation along with an interest of 6 percent per annum from 1998. The court has asked two doctors – Balram Prakash and Sukamar Mukharjee – to pay Rs.10 lakh each and asked another doctor, Baidyanath Haldar, to pay Rs.5 lakh to Saha.

The tragic story of Anuradha started a month after she reached Kolkata in March 1998 for her summer vacation, when in April, some rashes surfaced on her skin. She consulted Mukharjee who advised her rest. However, rashes resurfaced again in early May with far greater intensity. Mukharjee prescribed her two doses of Depomedrol injection every day. As her condition did not improve, she was admitted to AMRI and subsequently she was shifted to Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital where she was diagnosed to be suffering from life-threatening disease called toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). At AMRI, Anuradha was treated by Mukharjee. TEN, also known as Lyell’s syndrome, is generally caused by a reaction to drugs and leads to the top layer of skin detaching from the lower layer all over the body. It is a more severe form of Stevens-Johnson syndrome.

Anuradha succumbed to her ailment May 28, 1998.

Link: http://health.india.com/news/record-medical-negligence-compensation-sc-orders-hospital-doctors-to-pay-rs-6-crore/

Republished here by courtesy of Health India.Com



2. SC judgement in medical negligence case historic: Saha.

By Health India.Com
October 25, 2013
With inputs from IANS

NRI doctor Kunal Saha, awarded Rs 5.96 crore compensation on Thursday for his wife’s death due to medical negligence, said the judgement should rekindle hope for countless victims. The Supreme Court ordered the Kolkata-based AMRI Hospital to pay the compensation for medical negligence resulting in the death of Saha’s wife, Anuradha, in 1988.

Terming the judgement as historic, Saha said it should tell many honest and caring doctors it is time to step forward and cleanse the system. ‘If you let a few corrupt and politically connected doctors to run the show, all doctors will continue to share the blame and will never be able to restore public trust that we had not so long ago,’ he said in a statement.

Apex court judge Justice V. Gopala Gowda passed the order on an appeal by Saha who had challenged a compensation of Rs.1.72 crore awarded by the National Consumer Forum. Saha lives in the United States. The apex court earlier held some doctors of the hospital liable for criminal liability.

What is medical negligence?

It is the medico legal term used to describe the negligent behaviour of a medical professional. The term medical malpractice is also used when a person providing medical care fails to perform his/her duty to the fullest of their ability and knowledge. This includes providing shoddy medical care, not informing the patient of the risk involved in a procedure, not giving the patient or their family a substantial reason for the death or irreparable harm caused to a patient, prescribing wrong medication, diagnosing a condition incorrectly, disclosing patient information without his/her permission, etc. A patient has a number of rights when it comes to medical care, and one should be well aware of their rights. It is important to remember that it is a medical practitioner’s duty to inform a patient beyond doubt about their condition or procedure.  

Link: http://health.india.com/news/sc-judgement-in-medical-negligence-case-historic-saha/

Republished here by courtesy of Health India.Com


Comments:

Look, it happened even to a doctor.

030. NHRC issues notice to Kerala over infant deaths.

NHRC issues notice to Kerala over infant deaths.

By RxPG NEWS
May 28, 2013  

Via IANS,  New Delhi

The National Human Rights Commission - Tuesday sought a report over the malnutrition deaths of several infants at Attappadi in Kerala.

Citing an editorial in a newspaper, the commission said: The contents of the editorial, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of human rights of tribal children and mothers in the Attappadi region. Accordingly, a notice has been issued to the chief secretary, Kerala, calling for a report within six weeks.

NHRC has taken suo motu cognizance of an editorial alleging that several infants died due to malnutrition in Attappadi region of Kerala, particularly in Kadambara South, Vellakulam colony and Nellippathy colony, since January, 2012, the commission said.

Quoting Kerala's health department's statistics, the editorial said that recently 23,597 people were screened in 7,565 houses in the three panchayats of Attappadi. Of them, 496 adults, 70 pregnant women and 283 children below the age of 12 were found to be anaemic.

Link: http://www.rxpgnews.com/medicalnews/NHRC-issues-notice-to-Kerala-over-infant-deaths_638884.shtml


Republished here by courtesy of Rx PG News