the goan I network
PANAJI
Two of the biggest cases highlighted by the then health minister were that of the Novo Nordisk insulin pens scam as well as the newborn baby screening scam as examples of corruption in the previous government in which Vishwajit Rane was the health minister.
Not to forget the then BJP government’s allegation that Vishwajit had handed over the public assets in the form of GMC to an Israeli military company Elbit India Healthcare.
“I think only on insulin for a period of four years or four-and-half years we (the state exchequer) lost at least Rs 2-3 crores every year that would sum up to be Rs 10-12 crores, that’s only on insulin,” Parsekar had then said referring to the government’s procurement of insulin pens higher than the market rate.
The government then proceeded to scrap the agreement with Novo Nordisk which came at the cost of Rs 3-crore a year after they were approached by another company which offered multiple use pen and of which only the cartridge needed to be changed.
Parsekar as the health minister also scrapped newborn baby screening which Vishwajit had awarded to a company called NeoGen labs at the cost of Rs 8.33 crore a year alleging that the screening was completely unnecessary given that the disorders were extremely rare.
“Through this screenings we have found that one of nine thousand babies born at GMC has an amino acid disorder, one out of 11,500 has a fatty acid disorder and one of of thirty-five thousand has an organic acid disorder at the cost of Rs 8.33 crore. I would rather spend the Rs 8.33 crore
Continued on P8
# New systems, management to be put in place at GMC
# Hospicio & Asilo hospitals to be streamlined
# Non-availability of free medicines, re-structuring OPDs at GMC to be assessed
# Entire system at 108 emergency services to be put on track
# 108 service to work on hire & fire policy
