Poor-quality medicines present a serious public health problem in District Poonch!
Strong or spurious medicines in supply in Mendhar, Surankote Mandi Poonch Mankote Buffliaz Balakote Harni, Dhargloon Jaranwali Gali, Bhatadhurian Bg Gali Dharba!
I can sum up this story from these famous lines from Arthur Hailey’s medical thriller Strong Medicine, ‘In most cold remedies, ‘Andrew (a character said, ‘there’s a mishmash of ingredients. One’s a chemical called phenylephrine; it’s in what are advertised as decongestants to relieve a stuffy nose. Mostly, phenylephrine doesn’t work—there isn’t enough used to be effective—but it does raise blood pressure, which is harmful for anyone, and dangerous for those who have high blood pressure already.’
-‘And also with this one again from a local specialist in medical edge of the seat or bed reading writing, He is a friend of mine. Medical school had been a time for imaginary diseases and this man had been hit by almost all of them as he grew up. Lastly, he became an alcoholic. The reason was he sold bad/fake/spurious medicines to the people and from riches to rags this story hit my brain because I knew what type of characters are fake drug suppliers! Hit by a terminal disease liver cirrhosis he is on albumen, and with a failed kidney he has his eyes almost closed! His father died and vanished in the same way!’
-‘That is why I said that the health care system in Districts of Rajouri and Poonch is precariously poised. We do not bring out stories just by dropping our hats. We work for them and then try to inform the administration as to what is happening where’!
-‘This could be another shocker to the health top guns in Directorate of Health, and CMO’s, BMO’s of the places I have mentioned above!’
-‘Supply of medicines has a big chain and if our research on this entire network is correct then it is the spurious drugs that fetch max money! Either they are approved by health authorities because without their permission nothing can get into the shops of the chemists or they are brought into the places by underhand means but it cannot be possible the health authorities in above mentioned areas do not know about the same!’
-‘Practically saying the whole web is intricate and mony travels faster than any other things into the hands of those who have great signs on stamp papers!’
-‘The people of the area as mentioned above are coming out in voices that are shrilling that poor quality medicines present a serious a health problem to the people who are consuming them, particularly caused by a mysterious diseases that began as Covid 19 the struck back as Delta Plus virus and now Omnicorn’!
-‘The side effects of this strange disease are many as the variants of these diseases are hurting the entire machinery which makes our bodies move on two legs!’
-‘It is time that attention is now largely focused on the increasing availability of fake drugs, substandard medicines because they are reaching patients and one of the realities is that someone is prescribing them? But who? Why now a surprise raid on the drug stores selling medicines to check is happening in the above mentioned places?
-‘It is UT Jammu and Kashmir Drug Control Authorities have to get themselves into a top gear motion as they have been silent for quite some time because of the viral but still strong and ridiculous medicines. What happened in the second wave of Covid-19 we all know! The images will never be forgotten in history!’
By: M S Nazki
Mendhar:
-‘We doctors are at fault in a lot of ways about drugs. For one thing, we prescribe too often—much of the time unnecessarily, and in part because it’s well known among us that there are patients who feel cheated if they leave a doctor’s office without a prescription. Another thing, writing a prescription is an easy way to end a patient interview, to get that patient out of the office and another one in- Arthur Hailey, Strong Medicine’! To a major extent he was absolutely on the ball when he wrote these lines and he had a reason for writing these words. This book was written in the last century but the words have come true!’
If the last century was all about revolutions, wars, pandemics and terror this century is all about economics, energy, education, e- digitals (all fields), empowerment and the enormous variety of diseases. We are all ‘E’s well but in these remote areas where health care requires enormous care the people still are still on the back foot whereas on the contrary they should be on the front!
What the people of the above mentioned areas are saying and that to vociferously:
-Drugs controlling authority and quality-control practices in the production of genuine drugs (either branded or generic).
-Substandard medicines are widespread and represent a threat to health because they can inadvertently lead to healthcare failures, such as antibiotic resistance and the spread of disease within a community, as well as death or additional illness in individuals.
-The possible means of addressing substandard manufacturing practices are also discussed. A concerted effort is required on the part of governments, drug manufacturers, charities and healthcare providers to ensure that only drugs of acceptable quality reach the patient.
-Govt authorities need to regularly check the pharma market and keep eyes on black sheep which are always on the prowl playing with the life of innocents!
Locals said that this is time to wake up for the drug controlling authorities and local authorities to control this game of indecency! Finally I will close up by saying that generally, pharmacists know a lot more about drugs than doctors do! This practice is not uncommon in the remote villages of the above mentioned areas!
This has to be done because in the ultimate analysis it would be the future generation that would be hurt. Proper medicines are a necessity but it has to be the pharmacists who have to keep a check on themselves in the above mentioned places! Either they cheat people for more money or save people with affordable price tags but with a caution ‘No false, fake and spurious drugs’! CMO Poonch has to get his BMO’s on track if they have lost one!
