TN IDMA calls urgent EC meeting to discuss allegations raised by Madurai entrepreneur

Chennai, May 31, 2022:

Following the serious allegations raised by the pharma entrepreneur A. Gunasekharan in Madurai against TN IDMA and TN PMA that the pharma MSMEs in Madurai are being ignored by the industry bodies, the state branch of the Indian drug manufacturers association (TN IDMA) has called an emergency executive committee (EC) meeting on May 30, and discussed the issues raised by the entrepreneur. 

The association will also discuss the matter for the second day on May 31, when the organizing committee of the pharmaceutical exhibition, Pharmac South, holds its meeting in Chennai at 6 PM. In the meeting, Gunasekharan’s co-partner, Lekshmanan will also join online from Madurai. However, IDMA will send one commissary to Madurai to personally hear the entrepreneurs’ woes, said J Jayaseelan, chairman of the TN IDMA.

He said the association is not neglecting any company or any area and it is working for the welfare of all manufacturers. But, as regards the issues of MSMEs, there were some problems that existed earlier with respect to GMP. The association could not do anything about that because those problems were connected with government policies. However, within the limit of the association, IDMA had intervened in many issues to get them solved.
 
Jayaseelan further pointed out that the government wanted to give only quality medicines to the patients of the country, so it introduced Schedule M. The policy of IDMA is also the same. It might have affected some manufacturers and closed down their units. As far as Gunasekharan is concerned, he is part of the IDMA and knows everything.
 
T. Satheesh, vice-chairman of TN IDMA has responded that whatever the problems reported to the association by any member will be attended to and the association will not ignore any member. He said all members are getting benefits out of the association. “Where ever issues are there we will attend to.  IDMA is taking care of the problems of the industry even from Kerala and also from Pondicherry. Then why should it ignore the issues of Madurai people ? All problems are taken care of through IDMA only”, he said.    
 
Endorsing the comments made by TN PMA president M Varadarajan, the former secretary and managing director of MMC Healthcare, M Rajaratinam said Gunasekharan and his co-partner Lekshmanan are members of TN IDMA for the last 30 years. They are also members of Madurai IPGA and IPA. They know all the issues in the pharma industry, but it was unfair on the side of Gunasekharan to openly make a remark of neglect by TN IDMA.
 
Meanwhile, M Sivabalan, the director of Tamil Nadu drugs control department, said the issues should be discussed and solved within the industry body and should not make it publicly for an open discussion. He said he is ready to take up the issues with the state leaders of the IDMA and PMA if Madurai entrepreneurs want his help. Sivabalan is retiring on June 30th. Pharmabiz