1,997 cases filed in last 15 months

Mobile courts filed 1,997 cases and realised Tk 5.33 crore as fines for the sale of counterfeit and contaminated medicines in the last 15 months, Health Minister Mohammed Nasim told parliament yesterday.

He said the courts jailed 57 people and shut down 68 organisations across the country for committing the offence.

During the time, counterfeit and contaminated drugs worth Tk 27 crore were also seized and destroyed, he said, adding that 39 more cases were filed with the magistrate court during drives by the drug court.

Replying to lawmakers' queries, he also said the government has taken an initiative to set up “Adorsho Model Pharmacy” at all divisions, districts and upazilas to stop the sale of contaminated, counterfeit and sub-standard medicines.

International organisation Management Science for Health's accredited drug seller is giving the technical support in this regard, he said in a scripted answer.

Nasim also said work was underway to create a separate monogram for the Adorsho Model Pharmacy.

There would be two categories in the project. The upper level would be operated by “grade-1” pharmacists while the next two levels by “grade-2” and “grade-3” pharmacists, he said.

Apart from buying standard medicines from the Adorsho Model Pharmacy, people would also be able to get ideas about their use from there.

The health minister said work was going on also under a project titled “Web Portal and Mobile Application” for letting people report online on the negative impact of drugs and the sale of counterfeit ones.

He said Access to Information Programme of the Prime Minister's Office was providing assistance to this end.

A software developing company was working to make software which would be available “very soon”.

Replying to another query, Nasim said the numbers of registered MBBS doctors and dental surgeon in the country are 77,000 and 6,976. The number of nurses is 22,939.

He said an additional 10,000 posts of nurses have been created, while a process was underway to appoint 3,616 nurses to fill the vacant posts.

The minister also said the government has planned to introduce a newborn infection management system to ensure services for newborns at Union Parishad-level healthcare centres.