Sanyog Medical Stores at GMC&H, four other hospitals remain closed

13 days on yet no breakthrough!

JAMMU: The sole aim behind opening of Sanyog Medical Stores, which was to provide some relief to poor patients on purchase of medicines and allied items, seems to have subjugated as even after 13 days, the five outlets located at Government Medical College & Hospital and its Associated Hospitals located in the Winter Capital city remained shut indefinitely.
As there is no breakthrough yet as the concerned Government authorities, which enforced closure of these Medical Stores on the allegations of fleecing patients and those representing the M/s Sanyog Enterprises, didn’t find a amicable solution to the issue, the suffering patients and their attendants remain dependent on the open market, where they are hardly provided any discount on purchase of medicines etc.
Besides, Government Medical College & Hospital Jammu, four other Sanyog Medical Stores closed are located at Super Specialty Hospital, Chest Disease Hospital, Shri Maharaja Gulab Singh Hospital and Government Hospital Gandhi Nagar, which happen to be main hospitals of Jammu city.
Pertinently, the Government Medical College & Hospital Jammu, which is premier hospital of the region and thronged by hundreds of patients and their attendants daily, has no fair price shop of its own, but to provide medicines and other required drugs, injections etc on some lesser prices, the Government leased out spaces at the GMC&H and its Associated Hospitals to the M/s Sanyog Enterprises Private Limited that offered discount of 10% to 50% on different types of medicines, drugs etc.
It is important to mention here that five Sanyog Medical Stores were closed abruptly on 1st December, 2017 on the direction of Minister for Health & Medical Education, Bali Bhagat taking cognizance of complaints of alleged sale of particular drugs / injections to the patients on higher prices than available in the open market.
The five Sanyog Medical Stores faced closure by the authorities over the allegation of fleecing patients/customers by selling them particular medicines i.e., “Enclex-60” and “LMWX-60” at comparatively higher rates, as the same were made available at lesser prices by chemist shops in the open market, which was refuted by the M/s Sanyog Enterprises.
In its response, the M/s Sanyog Enterprises Private Limited has also accused the chemist shop owners in the open market, especially those located outside the hospitals, of conspiring against it, as it claimed of giving the latter stiff competition affecting their (other chemist shop owners) daily sales.
It may be recalled here that the drugs in question “Enclex-60” and “LMWX-60” have printed MRP of Rs. 581.10 and Rs. 581.07 by their manufactures i.e., Cipla and Abbott respectively. However, all pharmacies of Sanyog are selling the said drugs at a discount ranging from 45% to 55%, which comes out to be Rs. 320.
When contacted by The News Now, Lotika Khajuria, Deputy Controller, Drug & Food Control Organization, Jammu, said, “We have served them (Sanyog Enterprises) show-cause notice and have asked them to submit their previous records. We have not received any reply so far and when we will get any response from them, we will take further action.”
When asked about any possibility of opening of closed Sanyog Medical Stores soon, she said, “I can’t say anything for the time being as investigation is on.”