‘Govt wants crippled FDA to control misuse of drugs’
| Date :02-Apr-2020 |
By Rajendra Diwe :
“How can a paralysed and crippled Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) in state control and manage the rampant use and misuse of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) in Corona virus pandemic in the State? The Central and State governments are just publishing the gazettes notifications daily in the period of pandemic, but no one in the Government think about its proper implementation,” told number of Drugs Inspectors in different divisions in Maharashtra while talking to The Hitavada on Thursday.
“People and Government have high expectations from FDA to provide safe and effective medicines to the common people. The bombardment of Government in terms of GRs, orders and notifications has to be faced by the officials in the department. But the department has 44 percent vacant posts in the state since last five years and Government is reluctant to fill the same,” they said. ‘The Hitavada’ contacted some Drug Inspectors from Nagpur, Amravati, Pune, Mumbai, Aurangabad divisions and a shocking truth is revealed as : “There are 226 sanctioned posts in FDA Maharashtra which include eight Joint commissioners, 57 Assistant Commissioners and 161 drug inspectors.
Out of which seven posts of Joint Commissioners are vacant, 29 posts of Assistant commissioners and 64 posts of Drugs Inspectors are vacant till date. Only a staff of 126 officials is controlling 75,000 medical shops (including wholesale and retail). There are more than 3,800 manufacturing units of medicines (including allopathic, homoeopathic and Ayurvedic medicines) out of which 745 units are having WHO GMP licence, this means more control and monitoring of these units is required.
The state has 271 blood banks and over 40 testing laboratories (analytical) etc. Despite of this, Drug Division of Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) is facing severe staff crunch as only 96 drug inspectors, one joint commissioner and only 28 assistant commissioners are controlling the entire show.” These Drugs Inspectors highlighted number of issues like “There are many FDA offices in the state which do not have vehicles, drivers, assistants to collect samples, clerical staff etc. The officials are working under tremendous work pressure and numbers of them are suffering with Heart Problems, Diabetes, Blood Pressure and mental disorders.
The best officers namely R B Joshi from Pune, Nilesh Gandhi from Mumbai and Shrikant Fule from Nagpur took voluntary retirement. Some young officers are also thinking to take voluntary retirement. Three officers newly recruited left the job of DI. Despite so many vacancies Government is not keen in recruiting the people, no promotions to the existing staff. At least there are four officers who had completed 27 years in service are working without promotion.Drug Control laboratory Mumbai is curtailed in size, rooms are converted to analysis of Food, creating burden over drug section.Many officers have cross 50 years of age or have taken benefit of time bound 12+12 years promotion, are getting salaries of super class one level but not promoted yet.
Number of pharmacies is increasing day by day, but the number of vacancies is remaining same or increasing. This is hurting current work force and Government is expecting stringent drug control.” “The situation in two divisions in Vidarbha is more pathetic. The posts of Joint Commissioner in both Amravari and Nagpur division are vacant. There are nine sanctioned posts of assistant commissioners in Vidarbha. Out of which eight posts are vacant and the only assistant commissioner is working as acting Joint Commissioner for Amravati and Nagpur division. Chandrapur and Gadchiroli district have no drugs inspector and no assistant commissioner. Most of the officials are playing double roles, for example a drug inspector for one district is working as assistant commissioner in another district. Vidarbha has more than 14,000 licensees of retail and wholesale.
The crippled FDA in Vidarbha is monitoring the entire show,” said a senior official in the name of anonymity. “Mashelkar Committee had recommended strengthening the state FDA with manpower. The committee also recommended the requirement of appropriate inspectorate staff could now be considered as One Drugs inspector for 50 manufacturing units and Drugs inspector for 200 sales units. If Mashelkar Committee’s report to be followed Maharashtra state requires 449 Drug Inspectors in Maharashtra. Maharashtra Drug Commissioner in 2008 formed expert committee about the posts of Drugs Inspectors needed in state. The expert committee on March 26, 2008, recommended 287 posts of Drugs Inspectors needed. But the state Government is not feeling so to strengthen the department,” a official stated.