Shillong, June 15: Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister, Dr. Mukul Sangma has flagged a concerning trend in the state wherein people are indiscriminately using various life saving drugs without prescription from a registered medical practitioner, and do not wish to come forward for testing for COVID-19.

Speaking to reporters here on Monday, he said he has comes across numerous instances where people have recovered by self-medication or taking medicines prescribed by quacks when the symptoms they displayed were of COVID-19.

The problem is the medicines consumed or prescribed by quacks are life saving antibiotics, which are required to be administered only after prescription by a registered medical practitioner, and must be routed only through the hospitals and medical institutions during this pandemic.

“But these are available in pharmacies,” he said and called for audit of pharmacies on how they have these medicines. He said there are relevant laws for drug control measures and the drug inspectors must carry out these audits to ensure that such wanton consumption of medicine does not lead to a public health crisis.

Additional cause of concern is the dosage of any medicine. Without the proper dosage, a medicine can have serious side-effects.

He explained that whenever any antibiotic is administered, the full course has to be administered to a patient. In the event of any secondary infection and the complications associated with such secondary infection, important life saving medicines is required. “But, if these important life saving medicines are misused left and right now, you will end up seeing that many of the complications associated with secondary infections may pose real challenge before the medical fraternity. And, therefore, create a real public health crisis,” he cautioned.

He also flagged the rampant and indiscriminate administration of steroids in the state.
Urging people to demonstrate their sense of responsibility during this crisis situation, he asked them to go to CHCs, PHCs, sub-centres and civil hospitals to seek advice of doctors and, subsequently, get tested. He assured that the State has all the medical infrastructure across the State, although with limitations.

He said there is inhibition among people to come forward for testing, and this particular challenge “has to be overcome by all of us collectively”.

Local herbs for faster recovery from COVID-19

Leader of Opposition and senior Congress leader, Dr. Mukul Sangma has shared that people are recovering faster from COVID-19 in some areas in rural areas of the State. But the particular reasons are not known for it. He deduced that I could be because of some local herb, but it needs to be investigated.

“You don’t know, maybe they are using some local herbs. These local herbs maybe considered as gift of god. Only when they get tested and confirm that the cases were COVID-19 and if they are responding to that medicine, then they will be able to claim that these medicines are helping in faster recovery,” he said.

He said the herbs may not be a curative medicine, but if it is capable of ensuring faster recovery of COVID-19 patients, then they must be known.

Seeking involvement of scientific community in this revelation, he said, “The scientific community will further study them and do their scientific documentations and necessary usage of such medications.”