SRINAGAR: State’s former minister of health, Sham Lal Sharma has denied allegations that he was involved in the spurious drugs scam unearthed in the valley hospitals recently.
Lab tests earlier this month revealed that an antibiotic tablet Maximizen-625, supposed to contain 500mg of amoxicillin, had zero percent of the medicine.
The tablets were used to ‘cure’ infection in valley hospitals. They were purchased during Sharma’s tenure as health minister till mid-January 2013.
Senior separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani has called for a shutdown against the scandal on Saturday.
Other separatist leaders, the valley’s civil society and the Doctors Association of Kashmir have demanded of Sharma that he own responsibility and resign.
Sharma, however, has denied involvement and said that he had no role in the purchases. According to him the drugs were purchased “independently by respective Purchase Committees.”
While describing spurious drugs as a heinous crime in the society, the minister alleged that he was simply being maligned.
“Some vested interest groups have started a vilification campaign against me and try to tarnish my public image by involving me unnecessarily. The issue has been politicized and even civil society has been misled and a different picture has been presented which is beyond the truth,” Sharma said, according to an official spokesman.
The fake drug Maximizen bore the name of Affy Parenterals – a Himachal-based pharmaceutical company – and was distributed by Lifeline Pharmaco Srgical, a company based in Jammu.
Affy has denied involvement saying its name has been faked.
The former health minister has also denied reports that the Lifeline owner was “directly or indirectly” linked to him.
Authorities have formed a high level committee to probe into the scam. Its report is awaited.
Nobody has been arrested in the case though.
Also Read: Life-threatening Drug Supplied to Kashmir Hospitals For 2 Years
