Indian System of Medicine is an important Department in the health sector of Kashmir but all is not well with its management.
As a matter of fact, the state government through its order No. 492-GAD of 2017 dated 18-04-2017 said: “In the interest of administration, Dr Abdul Kabir Dar, Secretary (Technical) in the Health and Medical Education Department, is assigned the charge of the post of Director, Indian System of Medicine, in addition to his own duties, till further orders.”
He is also holding many additional charges despite being found guilty by the State vigilance Department of sub standard drug supply. In July 2017, the State Vigilance Organisation wrote a letter to the General Administration Department to initiate ‘regular departmental action’ against Dr Abdul Kabir Dar, the then-DG ISM and several other officials in the alleged procurement of substandard drugs. Pertinently, the SVO sought the ‘regular departmental action’ after the ‘joint surprise check’ was conducted on a complaint into the alleged procurement of substandard drugs. The SVO letter, says that all the medicines, drugs contain “fungus inside the bottled packing and pathogens upto the level of TNTC and unfit for human consumption which speaks volume about the standard and the poor quality of the medicines”.
All the concerned had hailed the move when taking cognizance of the petition submitted by Ayush Doctors Association, the Petition Committee of J&K Assembly under the chairmanship of MLA Sukhnandan Choudhary has recommended that Dr Dar be immediately divested of the charge of Director ISM and suitable person be put at place and all the pending inquiries pending in Crime Branch and vigilance should be finalised along with draft audit paras. The Petition Committee has also recommended that the law should take its own course in a logical manner. Reliable sources have told that supply in the Indian System of Medicine department is suffering as there no supply of medicine for poor since a year on account of tainted Director at helm of affairs.
We have given our recommendation in the matter and now it is for the part of the government to act and play its role, “ stated Chairman Petition committee Sukhnandan Choudhary, while talking to The Kashmir News Bureau. All the voices say that ball is now in state government court and it needs to act swiftly to clear the department from rot.