Thaindian News

Chandigarh, April 24 (IANS) A leading chemist shop, situated in the premises of the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) here, has come under scanner for selling used surgical equipments to patients.

According to PGIMER officials, Aditya medicos sold an already used drainage cannula — used in heart surgery, to the relatives of Surjeet Singh, a patient. Following this, PGIMER authorities have initiated a probe into the matter.

“Surjeet had to undergo a cardiac surgery on Tuesday and his family members bought the surgical equipments and medicines from Aditya medicos that is located inside the premises of this hospital. A doctor found a blood clot on the cannula (which was sealed in a pack) and immediately summoned the manager of the shop,” said a PGIMER official Sunday.

“There is a possibility that someone from the hospital had sold the used cannula at a cheap rate at the chemist shop. If it was used during the surgery, then the patient could have lost his life due to infection,” he added.

A family member of Surjeet had bought the cannula from a chemist shop for Rs.1,400, after getting a discount of 30 percent.

PGIMER official spokesperson Manju Wadwalkar said: “This is a serious matter. Our security wing is looking into it.”

Meanwhile, relatives of the patient filed a complaint with the police, but so far no case has been registered.

“There are many instances when patients return the medicines and surgical items when they are not used. There is a possibility that someone had returned this cannula to us,” said Aditya medicos manager Ashok Kumar.

PGIMER is one of the leading medical institutes in this part of the country and is frequented by tens of hundreds of patients everyday.

In 2009, a case was registered against a leading chemist Kumar Brothers, here in Sector 11, for selling poor duplicate surgical equipments to PGIMER patients.