Electoral Bonds Scam: The Pharma Files | Dhruv Rathee

Summary

The video script exposes the Electoral Bond Scam in India, detailing how pharmaceutical companies, including Zydus Cadila and Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, donated millions to political parties via electoral bonds while producing substandard medicines. It highlights the government's failure to enforce quality control, with reports of adverse reactions to Remdesivir and contaminated cough syrups leading to child deaths in India and abroad. The script also criticizes the government's response, including passing laws to ease penalties for low-quality drugs.

Takeaways

• 🚨 The Electoral Bond Scam is considered the biggest scam in the world according to the Finance Minister's husband.
• 💊 Public funds have been misused in various scams including substandard medicines causing harm to citizens.
• 🏥 Reports of adverse reactions to Remdesivir manufactured by Zydus Cadila led to investigations revealing poor quality medicines.
• 📊 The WHO had previously declared Remdesivir ineffective against Covid, yet India increased its production.
• 💉 Several states reported issues with substandard medicines from batches linked to Cadila, yet no significant action was taken by the Gujarat FDCA.
• 🏛️ Regulatory bodies failed to recall medicines even after being found to contain harmful bacterial endotoxins.
• 💸 Pharmaceutical companies linked to substandard medicines donated large sums to political parties through electoral bonds.
• 🌍 India's reputation as the 'Pharmacy of the World' was tarnished by companies exporting substandard medicines.
• 📉 The Indian government passed laws to ease penalties for companies producing low-quality drugs.
• 🏢 High-profile donations to political parties were made by pharmaceutical companies shortly after regulatory issues were raised.

Q & A

What is the Electoral Bond Scam mentioned in the script?

The Electoral Bond Scam refers to allegations of misuse of electoral bonds for illicit political funding, involving questionable donations from pharmaceutical companies to political parties, amidst concerns over substandard drugs and inadequate regulatory actions.

Who is claimed to have called the Electoral Bond issue the 'biggest scam in the world'?

The script attributes this claim to the husband of India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who is also an economist.

What is the connection between the Electoral Bond Scam and pharmaceutical companies?

The connection lies in the substantial donations made by certain pharmaceutical companies to political parties through electoral bonds, despite these companies being implicated in scandals involving substandard or contaminated medicines.

What was the issue with Remdesivir mentioned in the script?

Remdesivir, an anti-viral medication, was associated with adverse reactions in patients, such as fever and plummeting blood oxygen levels, leading to its discontinuation in several hospitals. The medicine was linked to batches from the company Zydus Cadila.

What action did the World Health Organization (WHO) take regarding Remdesivir?

In November 2020, WHO advised against using Remdesivir for COVID-19 treatment, based on a study that found it ineffective. Despite this, the Indian government approved its increased production.

What was the role of Gujarat FDCA in the Remdesivir issue?

The Gujarat FDA was responsible for ensuring the quality of medicines manufactured by Zydus Cadila but did not conduct tests on the batches that were reported to be causing adverse reactions in patients.

How did the Indian government respond to the substandard drug issues?

Instead of tightening quality control, the government passed legislation to ease penalties for companies producing low-quality drugs, effectively decriminalizing minor offenses and allowing financial settlements in place of stricter punitive measures.

What was the outcome of the case involving contaminated cough syrups that led to child deaths in Uzbekistan?

The Uzbekistani government banned drugs imported by the company involved, cancelled its license, and sentenced several individuals to prison terms. In India, the company's manufacturing license was cancelled, and some employees were arrested, but the company was later allowed to resume operations under certain restrictions.

What is the significance of the electoral bonds data mentioned in the script?

The data reveals the extent of political donations from pharmaceutical companies, raising questions about potential conflicts of interest and the influence of these donations on regulatory actions, or lack thereof.

What was the response of Prime Minister Modi to the Electoral Bond Scam?

Prime Minister Modi acknowledged some 'imperfections' in the system but defended the electoral bonds as a means to trace political funding. Critics argue that the system was designed to allow secretive political donations.