Delhi Police recently claimed to have busted an interstate racket on charges of alleged involvement in counterfeiting and adulteration of cancer medicines, officials reported on Wednesday. As per officials, the police personnel recovered cancer-drug vials from a batch supplied to government hospitals in Rajasthan under a state health scheme.

Following the development, Rajasthan Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar ordered a factual probe into the incident, including the inspection of the entire medicine supply chain. Sources privy to the development said the recovered batch was supplied by means of Rajasthan Medical Services Corporation Limited (RMSCL) to government hospitals across the state. 

Four of the seized vials had reportedly been supplied to a government hospital in Bikaner. 

Authentic cancer drugs refilled by members of the racket

The Delhi Police’s probe into the incident unearthed that members of the alleged racket stole genuine vials of expensive cancer medicines, removed their original contents and refilled them with another fluid, suspected to be water. 

The adulterated medicines were subsequently sold on the black market at steep prices. 

According to officials, one of the drugs under scrutiny is Avelumab, an expensive cancer medicine reportedly being sold for as much as Rs 1 lakh in Delhi. The alleged tampering has raised grave concerns as the medicines had originally been supplied under a government programme for patients receiving treatment at public hospitals. 

Patients who bought the adulterated injections, as per officials, could have been exposed to serious health risks while paying substantial amounts for products which may have been lacking therapeutic ingredients. 

Lab test reveals no active ingredient

Delhi Police’s Crime Branch unit sent the seized medicines to the concerned pharmaceutical company at Merck’s laboratory in Germany for examination. The lab testing reportedly found no detectable amount of the active ingredient used in the cancer treatment in the seized vials. 

The findings have intensified questions over how medicines supplied through a government scheme allegedly made their way into the black market and whether similar tampering took place with other drugs supplied by the government. 

Rajasthan orders probe into supply chain

Taking immediate cognisance of the incident, Minister Khimsar directed officials to examine the entire supply chain, beginning from procurement and storage to distribution at the hospital level. 

As per an official statement, the probe shall examine stock registers, indents, dispatch records and distribution details to ascertain how the medicines were handled at different stages. 

The minister said the black marketing or unauthorised sale of expensive, life-saving medicines intended for patients at government hospitals would not be tolerated at any cost. 

Furthermore, he instructed officials to fix responsibility and initiate strict action if the probe establishes irregularities, negligence or collusion at any stage of the supply chain. 

Police probe deepens

Minister Khimsar also ordered officials to ramp up the system for supply and distribution of government medicines and make it more transparent. He said the availability and safe use of expensive medicines used to treat serious ailments like cancer were being monitored regularly. 

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police are investigating how medicines supplied under the Rajasthan government scheme allegedly landed in the black market and who was responsible for their diversion. 

The cops are also probing whether other government-supplied or life-saving medicines were similarly tampered with before being sold. Officials said further action in Rajasthan would be taken on the basis of the findings of the factual inquiry.