UP News: CAG Flags ₹924 Crore Worth Of Untested Drugs Distributed In Govt Hospitals Between 2020–2024

A damning revelation has surfaced in Uttar Pradesh’s public healthcare system, as the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has flagged that medicines worth over ₹924 crore were distributed in government hospitals without mandatory lab testing between 2020 and 2024. The audit has exposed glaring administrative gaps and raised serious concerns over public health safety under the Yogi Adityanath-led government.

According to the CAG report, drug inspectors are not authorized to collect medicine samples directly from hospital stores. Additionally, no system exists to send samples from hospitals to inspectors. As a result, whatever drugs local suppliers provided were used directly for patient treatment—without any laboratory quality check.

Despite the Health Department’s claim that medicines were procured from “approved” firms on the DVDMM portal, the audit team rejected this defense, stating that no lab-tested verification was undertaken. The matter has now been escalated to higher authorities, but health officials have declined to comment, citing non-receipt of audit copies.

Experts allege local firms with a history of poor-quality supplies continued to operate unchecked, likely due to corruption and commission networks. Unlike KGMU, which initiated private lab testing after scrutiny, most district hospitals and CMOs have failed to implement any quality assurance measures.

The opposition has seized the moment, criticizing the government for risking lives with untested drugs. They argue that while the state boasts of healthcare reforms, the ground reality shows a system running on negligence and political shielding.