Delhi High Court on Monday directed the drug controller to inquire into the issue of politicians buying Covid-19 drugs in bulk amid shortages.
It observed that while BJP MP Gautam Gambhir must have been distributing medicines with the best of intentions, the gesture unintentionally did a disservice.
A bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet Singh said the drug controller shall examine how it is possible for someone to procure over 2,000 strips of Fabiflu, a medicine for treating Covid-19, which is already in shortage and how the chemist was able to entertain such a prescription.
“Gautam Gambhir must have done it with best of intentions. We are not doubting his intentions. Our question is whether it is a responsible behaviour when the medicine is in short supply. We are not doubting his intentions but the way he has gone about it, he has actually done a disservice, unintentionally may be. This was not the way that you buy from the market so many strips, certainly not,” the bench said.
The high court also directed the drug controller of Delhi government to conduct a similar inquiry into the allegations of procuring and hoarding medical oxygen made against AAP legislators Priti Tomar and Praveen Kumar and file a status report.
The high court was hearing a PIL seeking lodging of an FIR on the allegations that politicians are able to procure in huge quantity and distribute Covid-19 medicines while patients were running from pillar to post to get them.
The bench perused the status report of Delhi police which said that Gambhir had purchased 2,628 strips of Fabiflu on the prescription of Dr Manish of Sanjay Garg Hospital. While 2,343 strips were distributed to patients, remaining 285 strips were deposited with Delhi government’s Director General of Health Services for distribution, in view of the court’s earlier order.
“The aspect which needs to be examined is how such a large quantity of Fabiflu was authorised to be purchased in retail as the medicine was in grave short supply at the relevant time.”
“We would like you (drug controller) to tell us what enquiry you have done. Here there is a very clear case made out. Tell us under what provisions action is required to be taken and against whom,” the bench said.
