Gajapati, July 23 (UDN): A large quantity of government-supplied medicines, including both expired and unexpired stocks, was found dumped in the open at the Mohana Community Health Centre (CHC) in Odisha’s Gajapati district, prompting the health department to order an inquiry into the incident.

The medicines were discovered lying scattered behind the CHC’s medicine warehouse, while several cartons and strips were also found inside an abandoned building within the hospital premises. The incident has raised serious concerns over the storage, handling, and disposal of government-procured drugs.

Usable Medicines Found Among Discarded Stock

Initial observations revealed that the discarded stock included not only expired medicines but also several medicines that were still within their validity period.

The presence of unexpired medicines among the discarded stock has triggered questions over whether usable medicines were improperly disposed of instead of being issued to patients through the public healthcare system.

Questions Over Disposal Procedure

Health officials noted that expired medicines must be disposed of through a prescribed scientific process to prevent environmental contamination and eliminate the risk of misuse. The manner in which the medicines were found dumped in the open has raised doubts over whether standard disposal protocols were followed.

The incident has also highlighted concerns regarding inventory management and monitoring of medicine stocks at government health facilities.

Health Department Orders Inquiry

Taking serious note of the matter, the Chief District Medical and Public Health Officer (CDM&PHO) has ordered an investigation to determine how the medicines ended up outside the storage facility and whether any negligence or procedural lapses were involved.

Officials said appropriate action would be initiated if the inquiry establishes any irregularities.

The discovery has drawn criticism from local residents, who questioned the handling of medicines purchased with public funds and called for greater accountability in the management of government healthcare supplies.

The inquiry is expected to examine the condition of the recovered medicines, verify inventory records, and determine whether established guidelines for storage and disposal were violated.