Doctors Association Kashmir President Dr Nisar-ul-Hasan Thursday claimed that majority of the doctors are on the pay rolls of outside pharmaceutical companies which produce spurious and sub-standard drugs that is exclusively pumped into Kashmir Valley.In a chat with news agency CNS, Dr Nisar-ul-Hasan said that due to mushroom growth of chemist shops in Kashmir Valley, the Drug Department is unable to pick up the drug samples from these shops. “Due to bribery and mushroom growth of chemist shops, the Drug Inspectors don’t bother to pick up the drug samples from the medical shops. The medical shops owners grease the palms of majority of the drug inspectors.The sub-standard drugs are available in abundance in open market,” he said.Responding to a question, Dr Nisar-ul-Hasan said that even the government has admitted and conceded to the fact that outside pharmaceutical companies manufacture sub-standard drugs and pump it in the open market in Kashmir Valley. “It is unfortunate that majority of the patients purchase drugs from open market and not from hospitals where drugs are of mostly standard nature,” he said.“Whole open-market is unchecked. Doctors doing private practices on clinics prescribe drugs available in abundance in open market. Despite knowing the fact that drugs in open market are of sub-standard nature, they prescribe it to appease pharmaceutical companies which provide them monetary and other benefits,” Dr Nisar-ul-Hasan told CNS and added that Kashmir has turned to be safe bastion for trade in spurious and substandard drugs.“Every day patients suffer and even die because of this menace. There is a deep rooted nexus between drug department and drug mafia that pumps massive quantities of spurious drugs in the state. JK has become a gold mine for spurious drugs as the market is unregulated and unchecked. People have lost confidence in drugs and healthcare system because on ground nothing has changed,” he said and advised patients to procure drugs only from hospitals. (CNS)