India largest generic drug producer, supplies vaccines to 150 countries

Bhopal: India stands third in pharmaceutical market in the world. In order to establish its dominance at the global level, a target rise at the rate of 5 per cent per year till year 2020 has been set. This was expressed by Union Minister of State for Public Health and Family Welfare Faggan Singh Kulaste today at the inauguration of the country’s first international conclave on drug regulation at Bhopal. Addressing the conclave ‘Best Practices in Drug Regulation’ Kulaste told that India is not only the largest producer of generic medicines in the world but also supplies vaccines to 150 countries. There is a decline in mother-child death rate due to the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matrutva Yojana. The centre aims at strengthening the basic structure and providing a secure, flexible, strong and transparent health system along with states.

State’s Public Health and Family Welfare Minister Rustum Singh said that when the Indian Penal Code was formed, allopathy medicines were not manufactured in India. Now rules should be made with the support of experts, legal experts and representatives of pharmaceutical sector and should be passed with the help of the Centre. Singh said that there should be provision to punish those producing sub-standard and fake drugs in a specific time period. He hoped that the two-day international conclave will bring constructive, solid and far reaching results for people of the state and the country.

Rustum Singh said that the cost of expensive treatment as per the Prime Minister’s directives has come down up to 60-70 per cent. He thanked Kusum Health Care for establishing a big plant at Pithampur in Dhar district. This plant will begin production from November 2017. Singh said that not only the poor but all patients are provided free medicines in government hospitals of Madhya Pradesh. Medicines worth Rs 300 crores are purchased every year in the state.

Additional Secretary Union Ministry of Public Health and Family Welfare Dr. R.K. Vatsa told that good quality medicines at cheap prices are being made available under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Yojana. The rates of equipments have also come down by 50 to 75 per cent. Amrit Stores are being opened in medical colleges to make costly drugs available at cheap prices. While 84 stores have already been opened, 100 more are to be opened soon. He suggested that we must add safety to the slogan of cheap and easy accessibility of medicines. He said that 60 per cent drugs of HIV, T.B. Malaria etc. are exported by India. When most labs are of international standard, regulatory system also should be of international standard. He said that Madhya Pradesh is leading in all works of Government of India, then it should become a leading state in prosecution also.

National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority Chairman Bhupendra Singh said that Government of India is committed to make cheap drugs available to the common man. Among those who addressed the gathering on the occasion included Drugs Controller General of India Dr. G.N. Singh, World Health Organisation representative to India Dr. Henk Bekedam, Principal Secretary Public Health and Family Welfare Madhya Pradesh Smt. Gauri Singh and Commissioner Health and Drug Controller Dr. Pallavi Jain Govil. Technical Officer of World Health Organisation Dr. Madhur Gupta proposed the vote of thanks.

The international conclave on ‘Best Practices in Drug Regulation’ is being organized under the joint aegis of Department of Public Health and Family Welfare, Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) and World Health Organisation.

The conclave aims at strengthening drug regulatory system at the national and regional levels, preparing road map for effective implementation of legal provisions related to drugs and medical equipments, bringing uniformity in the working style of various states and preparing road map for ensuring availability of quality drugs and medical equipments at reasonable prices for all.

Those taking part in the conclave include Principal Health Secretaries, Drug Controllers of all states besides top officials and experts of World Health Organisation posted in India.-