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Time of India
13-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Overcharging chemists at PGI profit from patients' distress
Chandigarh:A reality check conducted by team TOI on Friday exposed exploitation of patients by some private chemist shops operating within the outpatient department (OPD) of the PGI. Following the discovery of this violation, PGI authorities have proposed penalising the chemist concerned. These shops allegedly sell drugs at significantly inflated prices, often from manufacturers with a history of substandard drug complaints. This investigation reveals a stark contrast with the govt-backed AMRIT (Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment) store, which offers substantial discounts but sees considerably less patient traffic. TOI conducted a direct comparison of prices for a basket of common medications across three distinct retail outlets: two of them located within the PGI hospital premises (a private chemist shop in New OPD and AMRIT store) and one in the adjacent market of Sector 11. Receipts in hand, the team uncovered a 'huge price variation' with the private PGI chemists charging exorbitant rates. The focus was on frequently prescribed drugs, including an anti-allergy medication (Cetirizine), two antibiotics (Augmentin 625 and Tinidazole), and a combination drug for gastric issues (Domperidone and Rabeprazole). It was found that chemists within PGI's OPD are leveraging their prime location to charge higher prices from patients who are often in distress and lack the time or awareness to compare costs. While the adjacent AMRIT shop remained relatively empty, the private drug store in PGI's New OPD witnessed a constant stream of patients, eager to collect their medicine order using a token slip, unaware of the allegedly inflated prices. Not just this, most of the medicines sold by the private chemist shop in the New OPD were found to be sourced from manufacturers in Baddi and Patiala – regions that have faced complaints of substandard drugs by drug control authorities. This raises serious questions about the quality and efficacy of medications being dispensed to patients. As per their rental agreement with PGI, these private shops are mandated to provide a 15% discount on medicines. However, the reality check suggests that the maximum retail price (MRP) on labels is being inflated to overcome this condition, effectively nullifying the intended benefit for patients. To further deceive patients and project an image of govt affiliation, the private drug store was observed displaying a photograph of the Prime Minister, which is employed by the genuine AMRIT store. Sources alleged that private pharmacies often overcharge customers by inflating the MRP of medicines. It was found that a shop that is supposed to offer a mandatory 15% discount, set its own higher MRP, ensuring that even with the discount, the prices remained higher. Sadly, PGI officials seemed to show little interest in the issue. After waiting over a day for an official comment, TOI was told by the PGI spokesperson: "The person concerned is preoccupied, so may not be able to respond. " INSET: There are three types of medicines: Branded (sold and marketed by companies), Generic (same salt and active ingredients as in branded medicines but they do not market the drug), and Branded generic (Branded companies also manufacture generic medicines). Price difference is due to the marketing in branded drugs, which is not in others. There is a 150-200% profit margin in generic drugs. AIIMS Delhi has no private chemist within the campus. There are AMRIT and Jan Aushadi stores only inside the hospital. PGI has around 18 chemist shops within the campus. This includes 7 AMRIT stores—one of the highest in the country. In 2022, five patients allegedly died following a propofol injection purchased from PGI's chemist in the emergency. The CDSCO's report concluded that the drug was contaminated. The PGI banned the chemist, and he had to vacate the shop soon. The drug was manufactured in Kala Amb, Himachal Pradesh. GRAPHIC: Medicine Name: Cetirizine (Anti-allergy) 10 tablets Price at New OPD Shop (Rs.): 10 Price at Sector 11 Shop (Rs.): 10 Price at AMRIT Store (Rs.): 9 Medicine Name: Augmentin 625 (Antibiotic) 14 tablets Price at New OPD Shop (Rs.): 624 Price at Sector 11 Shop (Rs.): 258 Price at AMRIT Store (Rs.): 215 Medicine Name: Tinidazole (Antibiotic) 10 tablets Price at New OPD Shop (Rs.): 47 Price at Sector 11 Shop (Rs.): 141 Price at AMRIT Store (Rs.): 111 Medicine Name: Domperidone + Rabeprazole (Combination) antacid 20 tablets Price at New OPD Shop (Rs.): 552 Price at Sector 11 Shop (Rs.): 189 Price at AMRIT Store: 142 Total Bill: NEW OPD PGI: 1242 SECTOR 11: 599 AMRIT PGI: 478 MSID:: 122406126 413 |
India Today
02-07-2025
- India Today
Shefali Jeriwala death: Forensic tests underway, cause of death still unclear
Actor Shefali Jariwala's death is still a mystery as the panel of the five forensic doctors at Cooper hospital who performed post-mortem or autopsy on her body reserved their opinion on the cause of death. They have sent samples for post-mortem histology and the preserved viscera for chemical analysis to Kalina Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL).Speaking to India Today TV, police officials, privy to the investigations, said that histopathology is done only in cases where the cause of death is not clear during the autopsy and also if the viscera have been preserved for chemical analysis. Once both the evaluations are completed and the report is submitted by FSL, the cause of death will be per open source information, histopathological after-death report, or post-mortem histology, is primarily done to determine the cause and manner of death when it's not readily apparent from a macroscopic (external and gross internal) examination during an autopsy. It involves examining tissue samples under a microscope to identify subtle changes or specific disease processes that may have contributed to or caused the of histopathology in post-mortem examinations: Determining cause and manner of death:When the cause of death isn't clear after a standard autopsy, histology can reveal microscopic evidence of disease, injury, or other conditions that might have led to the macroscopic findings:Histology can confirm and refine diagnoses made during the gross autopsy, providing a more detailed understanding of the pathological subtle or microscopic pathology:advertisementSome diseases or injuries have microscopic characteristics that are only visible under a microscope, such as myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) or amniotic fluid chemical analysis of viscera will help find if there was any kind of poison or toxins in the body which led to the fatality or sudden cardiac arrest leading to Jariwala's last momentsPolice officials have found CCTV footage of Jariwala's room and have accessed the footage. As per police officials, Jariwala was fasting the whole day as there was puja at her residence that day, but after 8:30 pm, she had some stale fried rice which was brought a day ago and then kept in the fridge. The fried rice was heated, and after, she felt uneasy and acidic - so she had a tablet of 40 mg of Pantoprazole and 30 mg of Domperidone. During the day, she reportedly got a vial of anti-ageing medication that was administered by a medical professional at her per police officials, her uneasiness grew after 10:15 pm and at around 10:30 pm she collapsed. Her body started trembling, after which the house staff alerted her husband, Parag Tyagi, who had taken their dog out for a walk. Parag immediately rushed upstairs, and in his statement to the police, he said that he could feel the pulse of Shefali when he went back upstairs, after which they rushed her to Bellevue hospital in Andheri the Bellevue hospital, Shefali was declared dead before admission and her family was told to take the body to Cooper hospital. Police officials received the call at 11:30 pm, and they reached the hospital at 11:45 pm."We checked the house and found two boxes of medication which consisted of Glutathione injections, Vitamin-C pills and some other medication at the house. We checked the dustbin and collected packets of food and injections. We checked the dustbin and collected food packets, wrappers, medication packets and vials from it. We also learnt that many of those medications were not prescribed or had been prescribed long back. She was taking medicines herself for anti-ageing and skin glow," an officer told India Today."CCTV footage from the house has been analysed, statements of family members and the person who had administered the vial that day have been taken. As of now, no foul play has come to light or been alleged by anyone. "But, we are taking all possible measures as per procedure to ascertain the cause of death," said an officer privy to the officers spoke to the forensic doctors at the Cooper hospital, and they suspected that the death could be due to a sudden major drop in blood pressure which led to cardiac arrest. The cause of her death and cause of the sudden drop in blood pressure could be due to multiple reasons, which are fasting, self-medication during fasting or even the stale food she had that evening.- EndsMust Watch
Telegraph
28-06-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
NHS trains midwives in trans breastfeeding workshops
NHS midwives have been trained by a trans workshop that promotes male breastfeeding, The Telegraph can reveal. The Queer Birth Club runs 'LGBTQ+' competency and lactation classes, using the tag line 'birthing people ain't all women'. The group has provided training sessions for NHS England and a number of trusts across the UK, and its founder has given talks at the Royal College of Midwives (RCM). One nurse who raised concerns about the training is now facing disciplinary action. The NHS worker told The Telegraph: 'The content of these sessions undermines established clinical standards and introduces extreme ideological beliefs that have no place in healthcare settings.' Campaigners last night called for the NHS to carry out an immediate review to ensure that 'training and care provision is urgently grounded in biological reality'. The Queer Birth Club has said that it has also provided training in universities and its courses are embedded in some midwifery and doula training programs. It promotes breastfeeding by trans women and claims that it is 'transmisogyny' to say that the milk produced by biological men is 'less'. This is despite concerns over the safety of the milk, which is produced after taking a series of medications to induce lactation. Domperidone, the drug commonly used to stimulate lactation, was not intended for this purpose, but is prescribed off-label by doctors. Janssen, which manufactures the drug, has recommended against it because of possible side effects to a baby's heart. Concerns have also been raised about the impact testosterone could have on babies who are being naturally breastfed by trans men. The Queer Birth Club say that their 'lactation competency' training, which they advertise with a cartoon of a person breastfeeding with the message 'trans joy' covers 'inducing lactation, feeding after top surgery, co-nursing'. Another of their posts on social media shows a drawing of a person with a beard and a pregnancy bump with the slogan: 'Boys have babies too.' The club has previously provided 'cultural awareness' training for midwives through NHS England and courses for a number of NHS trusts across the UK. It is listed as a recommended resource on several NHS websites. AJ Silver, the founder of The Queer Birth Club who identifies as non-binary, has also appeared as a speaker at conferences led by the Royal College of Midwives and says they have trained more than '600 birth professionals'. In a speaker profile for an event at the RCM in Wales, it says the organisation 'has worked with organisations such as NHS England, Birthrights, Make Birth Better, The Positive Birth Company, NCT as well as universities, collectives and health trusts across the UK and Ireland'. Those who have attended the courses are invited to join a 'closed' Facebook group of '500+ like-minded professionals' where they can 'build valuable networks and enhance their understanding of LGBTQ+ competency'. The nurse, who has faced investigation and disciplinary action after saying that the course did not align with her Christian views, questioned whether the content of the courses aligned with the recent Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman. She said: 'Student midwives are being taught and influenced to implement this ideology once they begin working on the NHS front line, which cannot be right, especially following the clarity of the Supreme Court ruling. 'I believe there are serious patient safety implications that warrant investigation. I am deeply concerned that this teaching on pregnancy attempts to downplay and discredit well-established clinical risks, potentially endangering the wellbeing of pregnant women, especially younger mothers. 'The activist network at the heart of this club must be open and transparent and no longer allowed to undermine the law, biological reality and basic standards in NHS services.' Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, said: 'The Supreme Court's ruling in the For Women Scotland case has made it clear that biological sex matters in law. 'These workshops risk undermining evidence-based maternity care and compromise the privacy, dignity and safety of both patients and staff. The NHS has a duty to uphold the law and to protect women, not to promote contested and harmful ideologies under the guise of inclusion. 'An immediate review of these programmes must be accelerated, and NHS leadership must ensure that all training and care provision is urgently grounded in biological reality and integrity.' An NHS spokesman said: 'NHS training should always be produced in line with the best clinical evidence.'
