Reacting to the Supreme Court's slap on Thursday on failure to stop illegal clinical trials of untested drugs by multinational companies, UPA Government said that the apex court has to see the government in
good context and judge it by the deliverables. The report produced by Kapil Sibal said that the UPA government curtailed the death toll from 2,402 at the time of BJP-led NDA rule to 2,397 during 2006-10. (Please check the picture as given in the side box).
"We managed to reduce the death toll by 5 persons and showed that our government is committed to protect the interests of human beings. It was inhumane NDA Government. We have given the statistics in this slide," said Telecom Minister and head spokesperson of the UPA government. Talking to Press Reporters in Delhi, as Health Minister was out of station, Kapil Sibal thrashed out all the allegations made by the apex court.
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| Source: Swasthya Adhikar Manch and Government |
The court's direction came during the hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL), filed by NGO Swasthya Adhikar Manch, alleging large-scale clinical drug trials across the country by various pharmaceutical firms using Indian citizens as guinea pigs in those tests.
He said "We are aware that the death number out of illegal human trials by multinational pharmaceutical companies was quite high in NDA rule, this time we broke the general notion that we wouldn't follow the practice to preach NDA for its mis-governance or misplay or scams. We actually thought of behaving in different but generous manner and took all the efforts to curtail the death numbers. Those five persons who actually saved because of the government are present here."
Kapil Sibal showed the reporters 5 underweight people who were drinking milk.
"Look at them they are much healthier and now they can even digest milk," said Kapil Sibal.
The government also produced that generally it was a rule to stop illegal human trials. However, Supreme Court thrashed on the government's rules.
"You have slipped into deep slumber. It pains us that children of the country are being uses as guinea pigs by the companies. You do not have even respect of the Parliamentary Committee which has said that the companies are running racket and you are showing just draft rules," the bench said when the Additional Solicitor General Siddhath Luthra contended that Centre is considering to frame rules.
Talking on Supreme Court's statement, Kapil Sibal said "While it is common practice to make trials on human beings rather than rats, pigs, bulls or other creatures in banana republic like us I think there is no need that Supreme Court needs to create an issue. Even I became 'guinea pig' many times. I like to become guinea pig for the pharma companies. They handle with care. Look at various parts of my body. They gave me so many injections on my hands buttocks and many other parts. Still I am fit and healthy. See we are mango men and we have no choice. They give us and government a good amount of money. So best to let them go and the government is doing its job deaths from illegal clinical trials substantially reduced by 5."
