Meant for poor patients, expired medicines found dumped in Faridkot

A large quantity of expired medicines — meant to be distributed among poor patients — along with biomedical waste was found dumped near the New Grain Market in Faridkot on Thursday.

Advertisement

Acting swiftly on information received from the residents and sanitation workers, Faridkot Civil Surgeon constituted a special team under the supervision of Senior Medical Officer (SMO) Dr Paramjit Singh Brar and the District Drug Inspector, along with two pharmacists. The team visited the site and took stock of the situation.

Sources said several prescription slips and medical bills were also found at the dump yard along with expired drugs.

These documents reportedly link the medicines to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital, which is affiliated with Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS).

Initial probe suggests that the expired medicine might be a part of the supply meant for free distribution to underprivileged patients at the government hospitals.

Instead of being dispensed or disposed of properly, they were allegedly dumped after expiry.

Officials said the incident raised serious concerns about stock mismanagement, lack of auditing and possible dereliction of duty within the hospital system. In some cases, such expired drugs could pose biohazard risks if accessed by rag pickers or stray animals.

SMO Dr Brar said, “The Civil Surgeon has formed a team to probe the matter. We have roped in other departments as well. On the basis of the report, strict legal action will be taken against officials concerned.”

The Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016, require hospitals to segregate, treat and dispose of medical waste through authorised agencies. The unauthorised dumping of biomedical material, especially expired drugs, not only violates these norms but also poses serious health risks.

The investigation team is expected to review hospital’s records, medicine issue logs and surveillance footage (if any) from disposal zones.

The authorities hinted that responsibility would be fixed and disciplinary as well as legal action would be taken against those found guilty.