SHRC Turns Its Attention To Spurious Drugs

Srinagar, 20 Sept 2018: Redressing a complaint pending before it since 2013, the Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission on Thursday directed the state’s drug controller to prepare within six months a scheme for curbing sale and supply of spurious and substandard drugs.

The directions were passed by JKSHRC chairperson, justice (retd) Bilal Nazki on a petition filed by the rights activists, M M Shuja. 

The scheme should suggest improvements in the system of monitoring sale of substandard drugs and their supply to hospitals, Nazki directed. 

The petitioner has also made various suggestions for ensuring spurious and substandard drugs were not available in the market. 

The state’s drug controller, in her elaborate reply to the Commission has drawn attention to the systems and the mechanisms already in place to check sale and supply of spurious or substandard drugs. 

She however admits that there were not sufficient laboratories in the state for testing drugs efficiently and also that the available laboratories do not have sufficient technical staff which delays examining of samples. 

“Controller should prepare a scheme within six months and forward it to government. Government shall consider the matter and take appropriate steps in the light of the scheme so prepared by the drug Controller.”

The matter is pending before the Commission since 2013, and specific cases were also brought to its notice.Greater Kashmir