Srinagar, Nov 12: A long kept murky secret came out in the open Saturday when India’s leading doctors, at a medical conference here, revealed that Kashmir has turned into a heaven for spurious and substandard drugs.
Alarmed by the reports of widespread presence of spurious drugs in the Valley, world-famous cardiothoracic surgeon Dr Naresh Trehan asked the government to immediately step in and stop the deadly business. He also urged the country’s reputed private pharmaceutical companies to carry out survey in Kashmir to put an end to the lethal menace.
“A single spurious drug can cost a life. The government should immediately intervene to stop it. I also urge private reputed companies to conduct a survey here,” said Dr Trehan adding, “patient awareness is also important on this count”.
Dr Trehan, alongwith a team of doctors from Delhi’s Medanta-Medicity, was delivering a talk at a local school here.
He asked people of Kashmir to change their dietary and living habits to fight the growing heart diseases. “Diet and stress are main sources of heart ailment in the state. So change dietary habits, exercise, walk and attend gym to keep ailments at bay,” advised Dr Trehan.
Referring to the spurious drug menace in the Valley, another noted cardiologist Dr Surinder Bazaz said; “I am practicing in Kashmir since 1997 and I have come across drugs which are available nowhere in the country except Kashmir. The state has turned into a den of spurious and substandard drugs. Perhaps, highest number of fake drugs in the world are sold in this state.”
Speaking on the occasion, Peoples Democratic Party spokesman Naeem Akhtar said that “Kashmir-centric pharmaceutical factories are being opened in the rest of the country to manufacture fake drugs to be sold only in our state”.
Dr Trehan, on this occasion announced that Medanta is planning to open a medicare facility in Kashmir.  “We are doing a recce. Since we are a multi-specialty hospital, we are focused to do something here. In the next few months, the formal news about it will be out. There is no hiccup from the government as it wants us to start things here,” said Dr Trehan.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 12 Nov 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 12 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 13 Nov 2011 00:00:00 IST