The report on the inquiry into the manufacturers of the injection phials and saline bottles containing pieces of glass and plastic, is scheduled to be handed over to Health Secretary, Dr. Athula Kahandaliyanage. The Director of the National Drug and Cosmetic Devices Authority (NDCDA), Dr. Hemantha Benaragama said he would do his best to hand over the report on schedule as it was a matter of great concern.

Informed Health Ministry sources said yesterday (02), that it would be a decisive report as it would not only deal with the submissions by the four drug companies present at the inquiry, but also on those two companies who were represented by their local agents.

The Ministry had been dissatisfied by some of the practices observed by the companies when manufacturing vaccines and injections. Some of their methods observed when testing their products may lead to human error. Citing an example, he said that it could happen when testing drug samples as several test samples are taken up by their workmen and held out to a light. Errors could occur during the process.

Meanwhile the Government Medical Officers Association was highly perturbed by Health Minister, Nimal Siripala de Silva’s statement regarding the distribution of substandard drugs. The committee which decides on which manufacturers drug to purchase, may consist of GMOA members. But the question is who monitors them?

An informed spokesman of the GMOA said that it had been one of their own members who shed light on the substandard drugs that are distributed in Government hospitals when he revealed an injection phial with an insect inside. Subsequently, glass and plastic were discovered in unopened vials of injections and even saline at the Ratnapura, Elpitiya and Embilipitiya hospitals.

Several more substandard drugs were discovered during the last few days and were reported by the medical staff to hospital authorities who failed to respond owing to pressure from the hierarchy of the Health Ministry, he said.