Uttarakhand Health Department conducts surprise inspection at several medical stores

Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], October 7 (ANI): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has stated that the government's priority is to ensure the availability of safe, high-quality, and certified medicines to the people of the state. He has instructed officials to intensify regular inspections and sampling procedures at pharmacies and hospitals.
Notably, in strict compliance with the guidelines issued by the Central Government regarding the ban on certain cough syrups for children, the Uttarakhand government has accelerated its enforcement measures.
According to an official release, under the directions of Chief Minister Dhami and Health Minister Dhan Singh Rawat, teams from the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department are conducting surprise inspections across the state.
As part of this drive, the Drugs Department conducted inspections at several medical stores and paediatric hospitals in the Dehradun region. Samples of paediatric cough syrups were seized and sent to the State Drug Testing Laboratory for quality testing.
This intensive campaign, directed by Health Secretary and Commissioner R Rajesh Kumar, is being carried out continuously in all districts. The department aims to ensure that no banned, unsafe, or unauthorised medicines are sold in any medical store or hospital, thereby safeguarding children's health from any potential risk.
Acting on the orders of Health Secretary R Rajesh Kumar and under the directions of Additional Commissioner FDA and Drug Controller Tajbar Singh Jaggi, drug inspection teams carried out surprise inspections of medical stores and paediatric hospitals in the Dehradun area on Tuesday.
Additional Commissioner of the FDA and Drug Controller Tajbar Singh Jaggi stated that during inspections, several medical stores were found storing paediatric cough syrups containing Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide, Chlorpheniramine Maleate, and Phenylephrine Hydrochloride.
These medicines were seized in accordance with regulations. A total of six paediatric cough syrup samples were collected in Form-17 for testing and have been sent to the State Drug Testing Laboratory to verify their quality and validity.
Tajbar Singh Jaggi further informed that during the inspections, cough syrups such as Coldrif, Respifresh TR, and Relife were not found in any medical stores. The department clarified that the objective of these inspections is to ensure that only approved, safe, and medically authorised drugs are available in the state.
All drug retailers have been warned that if any unauthorised or banned medicines are found on their premises, strict action will be taken against them under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and related regulations.
Health Minister Rawat emphasised that this campaign by the Drugs Department is a crucial step to protect public health. Any negligence or violation of rules will not be tolerated at any level. The department has also appealed to the public to report any suspicious or unlabelled medicines to the nearest drug inspector or the departmental helpline so that immediate action can be taken. (ANI)