SHILLONG, May 5 - Authorities at North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) has informed that stents, pacemakers and other items have been made available at the Amrit Pharmacy to curtail illegal trade by doctors at the Institute.
There are allegations that the Head of the Cardiology department, Dr Animesh Mishra has been asking poor patients to purchase stents and pacemakers from a private vendor and the practice was busted by the authorities recently.
After the matter came to light, some of the doctors agitated and disrupted work at the Cardiology department stating that there are no stents and pacemakers for the patients.
However, NEIGRIHMS officials said here on Saturday, �the Medical Superintendent has forwarded to HOD Cardiology a list of stents received from officer operations, Amrit Pharmacy.�
The authorities said that patients can avail these items from the Amrit Pharmacy at the Institute. This would hopefully put to an end the �illegal trade� that some of the doctors were carrying out in the hospital and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare was informed about the latest developments.
Following the availability of the items the authorities said that OPD services in Cardiology department has resumed and 33 patients were at the OPD on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Dr Mishra denying reports of the illegal trade, said he is open to any inquiry. �I am open to an inquiry. I have written to the authorities to constitute an external or an internal inquiry,� Dr Mishra said.
