Pondicherry govt issues circular to medical shops to install CCTV to thwart sale of narcotic drugs to children

Chennai, July 27, 2022 :

The department of drugs control administration in the Union territory of Pondicherry has asked all medical shops in the four regions of the UT to install CCTV cameras in the shops in the wake of instructions from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) to thwart the sale of psychotropic and narcotic drugs to children.

E. Ananda Krishnan, the drug controller, said one month has been given to the shop owners to install the camera. The CCTV footage at the medical centres will be checked by the enforcement officials. In the four regions, Pondicherry, Yanam, Karaikkal and Mahe, altogether have around one thousand retail medical shops. He said in another two weeks time, all the retail units will come under video surveillance in the UT areas.  
 
When asked whether the traders are cooperating in putting up the closed-circuit television, the DC said installation of CCTV is now part of conditions of running a retail shop. He said the government has made it mandatory just to thwart the sale of psychotropic and narcotic drugs to children. According to him, action will be taken against the violators.
 
A pharma trader of a Jan Aushadhi medical shop in Mahe said he received a circular from the department of drugs control in Pondicherry demanding installation of CCTV. All the drug traders in the region are discussing with agencies to purchase units on discounts. In Mahe, there are 23 medical shops and one Jan Aushadhi store operating 24 hours. Surendaran, the JAS owner said although Mahe is in Kerala, the drug traders in the region have no membership with AKCDA, but they have a separate platform to discuss trade issues.

While talking to Pharmabiz, the DC said a first-quality blood bank unit will be set up soon at the government hospital in Mahe, a region of Pondicherry in Kerala. It is a long standing demand of the Mahe hospital authorities to establish one blood bank.  State and Central drug control officials will visit Mahe next week to inspect the facility. This is the second time a joint inspection is conducted by regulatory officers in Mahe to inspect the blood bank facility. In the previous inspection, the officials found inadequacy in the requirements for setting up the unit. Before the end of next Month, the blood bank unit will be erected at the hospital. Currently, there is no other blood bank or blood storage centre there.
 
On Wednesday, July 27, the DC department is organizing a workshop for retail chemists on the need of installation of CCTV cameras and to educate them on the new directions of the NCPCR and from the narcotics control department, about restriction of drug abuse. Ananda Krishnan said the governments of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have issued circulars to all medical shops to install the CCTV within one month. Pharmabiz