Vaccine PSUs closure in India: WE PAY, THEY PROFIT

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Dear NETRUMians,

An article from "The Pioneer" which is also available at

http://www.indiannotion.com/index.php/newslinks/17409

We pay, they profit

Summary :

"Save Pasteur Institute of India", an action forum formed by its scientists and staff to protest against the closure of vaccine production at the PSU, has alleged that 15 persons were trained in vaccine production at the PSU. After completion of their training, they were absorbed by Green Signal Bio Pharma, owned by Sundaraparipoornan, it alleged. The CPI(M) MP from Madurai, P Mohan, has alleged that Sundaraparipoornan is a close associate of Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss. According to the association, the PSU had released an advertisement on September 13, 2006, in all leading dailies to seek the recruitment of senior and junior research fellows. "Dr Elangeshwaran, the then director, supervised the entire recruiting process and selected 15 persons, who were on February 12, 2007, posted with the Pasteur Institute," said the action forum.

FULL TEXT

J Gopikrishnan | New Delhi

How 15 PSU-trained scientists defected to private vaccine makers

Before the Union Health Ministry ordered three Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) to stop vaccine production, at least one of them recruited and trained a batch of scientists who defected overnight to private manufacturer Green Signal Bio Pharma.

The case shows that apart from helping the private company avail a bank loan for starting vaccine production, the PSUs were also used to train the workforce of the private company.

"Save Pasteur Institute of India", an action forum formed by its scientists and staff to protest against the closure of vaccine production at the PSU, has alleged that 15 persons were trained in vaccine production at the PSU. After completion of their training, they were absorbed by Green Signal Bio Pharma, owned by Sundaraparipoornan, it alleged. The CPI(M) MP from Madurai, P Mohan, has alleged that Sundaraparipoornan is a close associate of Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss.

According to the association, the PSU had released an advertisement on September 13, 2006, in all leading dailies to seek the recruitment of senior and junior research fellows. "Dr Elangeshwaran, the then director, supervised the entire recruiting process and selected 15 persons, who were on February 12, 2007, posted with the Pasteur Institute," said the action forum.

All the candidates selected were residents of or near Chennai. "The entire batch was posted in the vaccine production department, the most critical area of the unit. Pasteur Institute's training is the best in the country and Elangeshwaran personally monitored the training of this particular batch," the action forum pointed out.

"On September 21, 2007, the entire batch went missing from the Pasteur Institute premises. As per service rules, it is a clear case of unauthorised absence. Though other scientists reported the matter to Elangeshwaran, no action was taken," the forum alleged. It added that the entire batch of senior research fellows and junior research fellows, which acquired the training in vaccine production at the PSU, is now working with Green Signal Bio Pharma's vaccine production unit. "This incident shows how the Government-appointed authorities helped private vaccine manufactures in a well-planned manner by murdering the prestigious PSU," said the action forum.

Dr Elangeshwaran, the then director who had implemented the Health Ministry's order to close down vaccine manufacture by the two PSUs, now says that he did all that under pressure from his seniors in the Health Ministry. Both Ramadoss and the Health Secretary are now in Geneva for WHO's annual Health Assembly, scheduled from May 19 to May 24 and are likely to be back in India by May 27.

Regards,

Dr Kiran Chaudhari

Lecturer,

Dept of Pharmacology,

GMC, Nagpur.

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