Bangladeshis Must Make Do With Spurious Medicine

http://www.thedailystar.net/2007/02/10/d70210011610.htm

Daily Star, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Saturday, February 10, 2007

EDITORIAL
Spurious medicines, substandard clinics - A grave threat to public
health

The on-going drive against adulteration and production of spurious and
substandard commodities has already revealed how deep-rooted the
problem has become in the absence of supervision, inspection and
control.
It seems things are going wrong in almost every important sector.
After mind-boggling stories regarding adulteration of foods appeared
in the newspapers, we have come to learn that a mobile court found in
the city a factory producing insulin illegally, and the law enforcers
also had to close down over 50 clinics, nursing homes and diagnostic
centres in Mymensingh town which could come nowhere near the
requirements set by the health authorities.

The news is indeed cause for great concern. Insulin is known to be a
life-saving drug and when it is produced illegally, there is reason to
believe that it is a substandard commodity that will put the lives of
the users at risk. Yet, these fake medicine factories, which are
discovered from time to time, seem to be enjoying a kind of impunity
that could only be result of the authorities' insensitivity to such an
important public health issue. What is particularly worrying is that
the fake producers are never punished the way they should be. Only
that can explain why the unscrupulous elements still dare run the
illegal business and cause incalculable damage to the users.

No less worrying is the fact that clinics and nursing homes have
mushroomed in the cities and towns like grocery shops and it is not at
all clear what service these ill-equipped medicare centres run by lay
persons provide to society. The law enforcers have discovered clinics
run by fake doctors and nurses! Again, this poses a grave threat to
public health and it is really difficult to comprehend how so many of
them could exist in a town where surveillance is supposed to be
reasonably good. If this can go on in a town, how can we blame the
quacks swindling people in rural areas?

The mobile courts are doing a good job. However, it has to be ensured
that people responsible for manufacturing spurious drugs or setting up
clinics that cannot cater to our health needs are not only arrested
but also tried and convicted for committing a culpable crime against
citizens. Finally, the government should develop a mechanism for the
courts to operate round the year.

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Bangladesh's Dishonest Manufacturers Making Fake Insulin For
Compatriots!! .....

http://www.thedailystar.net/2007/02/09/d70209012317.htm

Daily Star, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Thursday, February 8, 2007

Fake insulin factory in city sealed off
Staff Correspondent

A mobile court yesterday closed down a medicine factory at Basabo in
the capital, which has been producing insulin illegally, and issued
arrest warrants against its owners.

Tipped off, the court led by Magistrate Rokonud-Doula raided National
Pharma, a homoeopathy medicine factory owned by Dr Mosharaf Hossain at
Padma Kanon in Basabo and found 20 packets of insulin there.
No pharmaceutical company of the country has permission to produce
insulin, a life saving chemical for the diabetic patients. Only two
pharmaceuticals are authorised to import it.

The court arrested two workers Md Naser and Md Rubel from the spot and
fined them Tk 5 lakh under Dhaka City Corporation Act. It also
instructed Sabujbagh Police Station to destroy all illegal medicines.
The same court raided a branch of the National Pharma at Kamalapur and
held two of its staff Khandakar Nizamuddin and Rafiq and fined them Tk
4 lakh. The branch was also sealed off.

The court issued arrest warrants against the owner Dr Mosharaf Hossain
and his son Md Mostaq Hossain, who used to run the factory.

The police filed a case under section 25 (C) of Special Power
Acts-1974 against all of them.
Raids on Mymensingh clinics

More than 50 people, including doctors, owners, technicians and
staffs, were detained by the joint forces yesterday during raids on
over 100 clinics and nursing homes in the town.
The forces also closed down over 50 clinics, nursing homes and
pathology labs as they failed to produce necessary documents.

Led by a magistrate, the army, Rab (Rapid Action Battalion) and police
carried out the raids at Charpara, Mashkanda, Sheora, Dupakhola mour,
Baghmara Kalibari Road and Patgudam Bridge area.
Nearly Tk 1 lakh was realised as fines during the drive. Owners of
many clinics closed their establishments to avoid arrest.

First Class Magistrate Roksana Tarannum and Dr Anwarul Islam Chowdhury
of local civil surgeon office told the reporters that they have found
fake doctors and technicians and non-trained nurses along with
unhygienic atmosphere in those clinics, nursing homes and pathology
labs.
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