Shimla – In a disconcerting revelation, the pharmaceutical industries in Himachal Pradesh is under scrutiny as 374 medicine samples from companies situated in the Baddi-Barotiwala and Nalagarh areas have failed quality tests over the past year. The unsettling information surfaced during the Question Hour session in the Assembly House on Tuesday, prompting Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Dhaniram Shandil to address the concerns raised by various MLAs.
Dr. Shandil informed that the Health Department had taken swift action in response to these alarming findings. Notices have been issued to several pharmaceutical companies, and licenses of some have been cancelled. The Health Minister reassured the Assembly that stringent measures are being implemented against those found in violation of pharmaceutical regulations.
Himachal Pradesh currently has 38 drug controllers actively monitoring and inspecting the quality of medicines produced within the state. Dr. Shandil emphasized that strict action is taken against pharmaceutical companies operating against established rules. A state-of-the-art laboratory, constructed at Rs 32 crore, is set to be inaugurated soon, further fortifying the government’s capacity to conduct rigorous quality tests on medicines.
Addressing concerns about the companies rebranding and reopening under new names after facing drug sample failures, Dr. Shandil declared, “Companies engaging in such practices will be expelled from Himachal.” He also announced that investigations will be launched into companies that attempt to evade scrutiny in this manner.
The Health Minister’s statements in the Assembly have sparked a call for greater oversight and stringent action against companies compromising on medicine quality. MLAs Kewal Singh Pathania, Vipin Singh Parmar, and Dr. Janak Raj have collectively urged the government to prioritize public health and safety, emphasizing the need for robust measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
