Operation Lahri: System Failure, Aborting Task

Operation Lahri:

System Failure, Aborting Task

Part-time responsibility will only yield part-time results. High time, ANI Admn puts in place a separate Food and Drugs Administration to keep a tab on unregulated flow of dangerous drugs in the open market.

By Zubair Ahmed

By the time the Andaman and Nicobar Admn grasps the need for a full-fledged division with a Drug Controller, Licensing Authority and Drug Inspectors, as per the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules 1945, it would be too late. As of now, Drug Controller and Licensing Authority are rolled into one and the Director of Health Services has been ex officio notified, which is totally against the provisions of the Rules.

The Drug Controller and Licensing Authority are two different posts, with specialisation in Clinical Pharmacology or Microbiology. The Director at present is ex-officio notified as the Drug Controller, which does not serve any purpose. Moreover, he doesn't qualify for the post.

There are two notified ex-officio Drug Inspectors –Allopathic and Ayurveda. “With additional charges, it’s very difficult to monitor the whole territory,” Dr Paul, Director, Heath Services told LOA.

“There are two posts created for Drug Inspectors, which is lying vacant till now due to delay in finalizing the RR,” said Dr Paul.

Satyavan Singh, Pharmacist, Ayurveda, is holding the charge of Ayurveda Drug Inspector. Narayan, another Pharmacist is again ex-officio notified as Drug Inspector, Allopath.

“We do not have laboratories to check the drugs and we are trying to tie up with accredited laboratories in mainland,” said Dr. Paul.

There have been cases of Over the Counter (OTC) drug abuses throughout the territory. According to reliable sources, cases of abuse of Spasmo Proxyvon were reported from Car Nicobar where more than 13 youngsters died due to cardiac dilation in the last two to three years, which were attributed to the drug.

The alarming proportion of abuse of Codeine-based cough syrups and its availability in the nook and corner of the Islands reported by LOA in 2012 (COVER STORY: C-Company: Silent Killer on Prowl) had exposed the extent of the issue.

"There is no restriction on Ayurvedic medicines being sold by anyone," Satyavan Singh says. However, if the drug contains contraband like narcotics, according to Health authorities, it comes under the purview of police.

There seems to be blatant ignorance on one side and total evasion of one's responsibility. It is learnt that not a single case has been filed yet.

Its high time the  authorities wake up and put in place a system to monitor the free flow of dangerous and hazardous drugs in the market. Till then, it would be prudent on the part of the heath authorities to at least move out of the cosy chambers and find a way out using the existing mechanism instead of shirking responsibility.