DRUG MANUFACTURING company fined

Ludhiana, February 7, 2013: Deciding a complaint filed by Dr. Mohan Pal Singh of Sadana Nursing Home, Model Town, Ludhiana against M/S Punjab Formulation, Suranasi in Jalandhar district and M/S Hi-Life Medicare, Model Town, Ludhiana, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Ludhiana has directed the opposite parties to pay Rs. 30,000 on account of deficiency in service as well for resorting to unfair trade practice.

The order passed by the Forum further directed that of Rs. 30,000 the amount of Rs. 10,000 be paid to the complainant as compensation and rest of Rs. 20,000 be deposited in the Legal Aid Fund.

Further, the opposite parties have been directed to pay Rs. 5,000 as litigation cost to the complainant.

The decision has been announced by the Forum under the signatures of the Forum’s president RL Ahuja and Members Priti Malhotra and Rajesh Kumar.

The Forum, in its order, opined that opposite parties have no right to play with the lives of the people at the cost of their monetary gains. Thus, the act on the part of the opposite parties in manufacturing and selling spurious goods is not only the deficiency in service on their part but also amount to unfair trade practice.

The Forum said in the complaint it is not disputed that the impugned drug was manufactured by the opposite parties and is borne out of the report of the government laboratory, Punjab, Chandigarh, that the content of the impugned bottle were not of standard quality as defined in the Drug and Cosmetic Act, 1940 and also the same were found 410 ml against the labled capacity of 500 ml, which further is case of unfair trade practice resorted to be the opposite parties. There is no explanation given by the opposite parties about less quality of the formulation in the impugned bottle.

The complainant had bought Ringer Lactate solution from the opposite parties and it was found fungus infested.

In a statement here today, Dr Sadana informed that Fungus infections are very difficult to treat and can be life threatening. With such products in the market they must see every bottle of every medicine very carefully under good light and discard it if it has any suspension in it. In public interest and to bring it to the notice of the authorities so that appropriate steps can be taken to avoid such incidents, pictures of the ringer lactate bottle and a copy of the order are also being sent to the Drug Controller General of India, Punjab’s Director Health Services and Punjab State Drug Controller Authority, he said.

(photo-caption: Dr. Mohan Pal Singh of Sadana Nursing Home.)