Illegal medicine sale at GMCH by 3 nurses leads to suspension of 1

Chandigarh: Government Medical College and Hospital’s (GMCH-32) three staff nurses have been discovered selling medicines procured from outside the hospital in OTs and wards. One of them has had to face the consequence of it in the form of suspension.

A police complaint was filed by the security staff leading to a committee being formed to investigate the case, which has already submitted its report to the Director Principal, of the college. The report carries recommendations to prevent malpractices of this nature.

According to sources, the matter came to light when the security suspecting the goings on in a red car parked frequently in the parking near the old mortuary interrogated the driver and also checked the car to find a box of medicines in it.

"On being questioned, the nurse said the car belonged to his father, a chemist in PGI and that he had been driving it by mistake," said a GMCH official. Over the past week, the security department has caught three nurses selling medicines inside the wards.

A medicine sale racket inside the hospital involving nurses running chemist shops in the markets of sectors 31 and 32 was also reported by the TOI in April.
A nurse involved in the sale was transferred to a Palsora dispensary after being discovered.

There are Chemist shops and Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment (AMRIT) outlets, on the hospital premises. But patients are lured into expensive purchases as these are promised to be delivered inside the ward or private room by nurses who run pharmacy outlets outside the hospital.

"The service rule of the hospital mentions that anyone who has a business or his/her relatives are working in medical business, must declare it. The nurse who was caught carrying medicines inside the car did not make any such declaration," said an investigating official of the hospital.

Replying to the query on action taken the officiating Director-Principal, Dr. A K Janmeja told TOI, "The case was handed over to the police. We (doctors and security) need to be alert. These things do happen. Action will be taken depending on the quantum of irregularity. There is a mechanism and there are service rules which we have to follow."