Yesterday while watching TV I was shocked to hear a piece of news – 49 babies died during clinical trials at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi.
The drugs used were zinc tablets for treating zinc deficiency, olmesartan and valsartan for treating blood pressure-related problems, rituximab for treating chronic focal encephalitis and gene-activated human glucocerebrosidase for treating Gaucher's disease, which affect the liver. And the most important point is that these drugs were meant only for adults. Why do our doctors do it then? Are they life savers or killers?
India has become the top destination in Asia for clinical trials of foreign drugs. Trials here cost around 20–60% less than that in industrialized countries. Does this mean that our babies don’t have the right to live? Were these children made guinea pigs because they were from poor families?
Why do Indians face these problems in the best medical colleges and public hospitals in the country? Doesn’t our government feel that our babies are the pillars for the developing nation? Would we have accepted this crime if it had happened to our babies? I urge our younger population to stand by the poor parents and shout against this so that even a single baby in India is not lost due to clinical trials. Our babies are precious!!!
By Dhanya
Monday, August 25, 2008
Are They Life Savers or Killers?
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1 comment:
Hi Dhanya,
You are absolutely right, in questioning the ethics and morale behind such illogical trials, in testing adult drugs on children. India has definitely become a dumpyard for all "thrown-away products" from the rest of the world, not just medicines, but also toys and other FMCG goods. Shame on us, because we exhibit a sense of pride in buying these "imported goods".
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