E-Paper
Health department orders inspections of drug stores after Aundh hospital theft
As per the order, the team will visit the District Hospital, Sub-District hospitals, Rural Hospitals and Women’s hospital, amongst others, for inspection on priority
The State public health department has ordered surprise inspections of drug stores at all government healthcare facilities across Pune, Satara and Solapur districts, officials said on Sunday.
As per an order issued on February 10, 2026, by Dr Bhagwan Pawar, deputy director of health services, Pune circle, district-level teams will carry out inspections to check medicine stock, storage conditions and compliance with prescribed protocols. Two teams have been appointed, headed by assistant director, Dr Supriya Deshmukh and senior drug officer, Murali Padashetti.
As per the order, the team will visit the District Hospital, Sub-District hospitals, Rural Hospitals and Women’s hospital, amongst others, for inspection on priority.
The inspections will focus on multiple aspects, including verification and review of e-Aushadhi and FPLMIS records, updating of stock registers, issued and received vouchers, quarantine and near-expiry medicines, proper arrangement and labelling of drugs, fire safety equipment in stores, FIFO (first-in, first-out) inventory practices, and availability of essential and life-saving medicines.
The move comes in the backdrop of last year’s theft of mephentermine injections from Aundh District Hospital, which had exposed serious gaps in medicine storage security and inventory monitoring. The incident had triggered concern within the health department over the safety of high-value and critical drugs in government facilities.
As many as 40 vials of Mephentermine injections are reportedly missing from the pharmacy and the operation theatre of the hospital. The ongoing inquiry in this regard has been stalled due to the non-cooperation of the hospital staff.
A senior health official, on request of anonymity, said the latest directive is intended to prevent a repeat of such incidents. “The theft at Aundh District Hospital was a wake-up call. These inspections are meant to ensure strict accountability, proper stock management and secure storage of medicines across all government health institutions,” the official said.
Dr Pawar said, “The exercise is part of a broader effort to strengthen transparency, improve drug management systems and restore public confidence in government healthcare facilities. The hospitals will be asked to immediately rectify any shortcomings found during inspections and submit compliance reports within the stipulated time. However, stern action would be taken against institutions found repeatedly violating the norms.”
