PANAJI
The dealers led by President of the Chemist and Druggists Association, Goa, Prasad Tamba, and CDAG’s wholesalers association president, Albert D’Sa, met with the hospital management on Thursday morning. The allegation comes a day after the State Directorate of Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) suspended the Drug Retail Sale Licence of Panaji-based M/s UGH Vintage Medical Stores Pvt Ltd.
While speaking to mediapersons in Panaji on Thursday, D’sa said, “As of March 31, Rs 45 lakh is still owed to us by the Vintage hospital pharmacy. Over the last two years, the initial bill was brought down from Rs 52 lakh to 45 lakh, but in the last year no payments have been made.”
D’Sa continued, “Whatever cheques were given to us have bounced. One of the wholesalers has already filed a complaint of cheque bouncing with Goa Police under section 138 of the IPC. We are in the process of seeking legal opinion and will then file similar cases with the police and knock on the doors of the court,” said D’Sa.
In September 2015, the hospital was sold by Dr Suresh Dubhashi to one Dr Shivkumar Alle, but the former continues to be on the board of directors.
“In spite of being a director, the hospital authorities claim that they do not have any contact details of Dr Dubhashi, who is believed to have migrated to London,” said D’Sa.
In September, after the cheques given by Dr Dubhashi bounced, the wholesalers approached Dr Shivkumar who is believed to have told them that they will be paid by December 2015.
“Dr Shivkumar issued us cheques that were to be deposited in December, however, those cheques bounced as well. After we confronted him, he claimed that Dr Dubhashi has also duped him and added that that he has no money to pay us,” said D’Sa.
CDAG president Prasad Tamba said, “This pharmacy’s licence was suspended by the FDA for 10 days. We have never heard of such strict action. Hence, this is a very serious issue. We stopped supplying medicine stocks to this pharmacy six months ago, but how they are getting stocks and from where is the question. What is the quality and authenticity of these medicines is another concern.”
“After the inspection, FDA has urged us not to supply any stocks to this pharmacy until further instructions,” added Tamba.
It maybe recalled that M/s UGH Vintage Medical Stores Pvt Ltd was on Tuesday found to be in violation of several provisions under the Drugs and Cosmetic Act, 1940.
The licence has been suspended from August 22, 2016 to August 31. The FDA had issued warnings to the same medical store in the past too and their license was suspended in 2015 for two days.
