GMCH Jan Aushadhi store under scanner

Ritika Jha Palial

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 22

The raid conducted by the GMCH authorities at the Jan Aushadhi centre yesterday, that found the store stocking and selling branded medicines against the norms, has posed a big question mark over the revival in sales at the store reported in the past one year.

“The case is being examined and the file will be put up to me after an inquiry. We will then issue a notice to the store or take necessary action. These shops are not supposed to sell branded medicines. When we visited the shop yesterday, we could see ample stocks of branded medicines on the counters,” said the GMCH Director-Principal, Dr Atul Sachdev.

Due to the unavailability of a majority of the medicines, the Jan Aushadhi stores, one each at the GMCH, Sector 32 and the GMSH, Sector 16, lost popularity and faced closure in 2013. Both these stores were reopened with a new business model in 2014 by the UT Red Cross Society. Apart from being allowed to stock a few toiletries and products of daily use, these stores were also allowed to sell some selective ayurvedic products. However, the store at the GMCH was outsourced to a private person on the condition that he would share 50 per cent of his annual income with the UT Red Cross Society. Last year, a former secretary of the society had stated that the total income per month of the stores had increased to about Rs 1 lakh each, of which 50 per cent share came to the society.

However, now the GMCH authorities are looking into the past sales. Yesterday, the inspection team was led by Dr Atul Sachdev. The hospital officials also seized branded medicines from the shop premises.