Huge quantity of government-supplied medicines found dumped along Balasore road; authorities launch probe

A large quantity of Odisha government-supplied medicines meant for free distribution to patients was found dumped along the Srijanga–Rasalpur road in Balasore district early Thursday morning.

According to sources, the packets, mainly iron and folic acid syrups, were discovered barely a few kilometres from the Srijanga Primary Health Centre (PHC), lying torn open and scattered in an isolated stretch near the Srijanga-Kantiachira drain.

Visuals from the spot show hundreds of intact medicine bottles, many still packed in original cartons, labelled with clear markings of “Odisha Government Supply. Not for Sale.”

Reports also added that the discarded stock carries a manufacturing date of April 2025 and an expiry timeline extending until September 2026, leaving more than nine months of validity remaining. The condition of the discarded boxes indicates they were deliberately torn and thrown, not damaged by accident or weather.

Source Under Scrutiny

According to batch details on the labels, the syrups are part of a standard supply issued under Odisha’s public health distribution system. Sources also noted that the medicines were meant to be delivered to designated health institutions and administered free of cost.

However, as to how such a large consignment ended up outside the supply chain remains unclear.

Preliminary checks indicate that the dumped stock did not expire, was not recalled, and was not officially designated for disposal.

Health workers familiar with supply logistics stated that expired or damaged government stock typically undergoes a documented destruction process, which does not appear to have been followed here.

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District Authorities Initiate Verification

Following the circulation of visuals from the site, Balasore district authorities have initiated a verification exercise to determine the origin, route, and intended destination of the dumped consignment.

Officials from the Remuna block health system are expected to examine supply logs, transportation records, and recent stock-receipt entries at nearby facilities. No additional comments could be obtained from the concerned health officials.