Patna,(BiharTimes): Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Monday ruled out a CBI probe into the purchase and supply of substandard and misbranded medicines in Bihar hospitals by Bihar Medical Services Infrastructure Corporation Limited, a public sector undertaking, as a high-level inquiry has already been ordered into the case.

Leader of opposition in the state Assembly, Nand Kishore Yadav, demanded a CBI probe into the purchase of medicines worth Rs 67 crore by the Corporation from a banned company, Embark Life Sciences Private Limited.

The chief minister said the state government agencies are competent to conduct a fair investigation and are doing good work in this regard. The BJP demand for a CBI probe into everything small or big is beyond logic, he added.

BJP MLAs demonstrated at the Assembly gate and shouted slogans demanding a CBI probe into the medicine purchase. They entered the well of the House in support of their demand and sought criminal cases against the drug manufacturer and the officials and ministers who ordered its purchase.

Earlier, Nand Kishore said on October 4, 2013, a Janata Dal (United) MLA had written to former chief minister Nitish Kumar, who also held the health portfolio at that time, against the drug company. Still, the government agency purchased drugs worth Rs 67 crore from the same company in January this year. There was neither any quality check of the drugs nor was any inspection done of the godowns or warehouse where the drugs were kept before being supplied to the hospitals. At one of the government hospitals, expired drug was supplied. The hospital superintendent had refused to entertain the drug.

The BJP leader alleged that there had been serious irregularities in the purchase of medicines by the Corporation. The controversial drug which claimed the life of a patient at Jawahar Lal Nehru Medical College Hospital, Bhagalpur, was without wrappers. Its manufacturing date was also deleted.
The drug manufacturer was banned for 2013-15, still the Corporation purchased drugs from it, he charged.

The BMSICL has been accused of not only supplying substandard drugs but also taking products from pharma companies that have been blacklisted by other state governments like Rajasthan and Kerala.