Health Minister inaugurates CDSCO Sub Zonal Office & Central Drug Testing Laboratory in Indore

New Delhi: Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare inaugurated the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) Sub Zonal office and Central Drug Testing Laboratory (CDTL) in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.

The Minister also laid the foundation stone for various facilities in AIIMS Bhopal and inaugurated a slew of other facilities in Madhya Pradesh which includes 190 Pharmaceutical Industries, 55 WHO-GMP Complied Manufacturing Units, 163 Blood Centres, 12 Manufacturing Units having Written Confirmation, 12 Large Volume Parenteral Units, 9 Private Drugs Testing Laboratory, 1 Vaccine Manufacturing Unit and a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Facility in Pithampur.

Prior to this, Dr Mandaviya also addressed the 75th Foundation Day ceremony of Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College in Indore.

Rajendra Shukla, Deputy Chief Minister, Madhya Pradesh; Kailash Vijayvargiya, State Cabinet Minister, Madhya Pradesh; Tulsiram Silavat, Water Resources Minister, Madhya Pradesh and Shankar Lalwani, Member of Parliament from Indore were present on the occasion.

Expressing his elation at the inauguration of the CDSCO Sub-Zonal office and CDTL, Dr Mandaviya said that “monitoring the quality of medicines through CDSCO Sub-Zonal office will ensure access to high quality medicines to the citizens and provide ease of doing business for the stakeholders of pharmaceutical industries of Madhya Pradesh through the regulatory functions of CDSCO”. He further said that “CDTL and Sub-Zonal Office at CDSCO Bhawan, Indore will be entrusted with various responsibilities of regulation of drugs, cosmetics and medical devices. This will ensure proper implementation of the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Acts and Rules made to ensure the safety and welfare of patients and for better coordination with State Drug Controller Organizations.”

The Central Drug Testing Laboratory has high quality laboratory services available for testing drugs, which will ensure essential and high-quality medicines to improve the health of the citizens of the country and Madhya Pradesh. It consists of 12 HPLCs, 1 GLC, 1 UV Spectrophotometer and other instruments. The medicine samples will be tested and analysed in the laboratory following standard testing procedures.

The Union Health Minister also inaugurated 6 new health facilities at AIIMS Bhopal which include a Drone Station, Dexa Scan Suit, Gym Complex, Trauma & Emergency Operation Theatre Complex, Cobas 5800 System for Viral Load Assay (First Installation in India) and a Private Ward Complex (16 fully Furnished Private Rooms). He highlighted that “it is the dream of Hon’ble Prime Minister that AIIMS should be opened in all states of the country on the lines of AIIMS New Delhi. In the last 10 years, 17 AIIMS have been opened bringing the total number of AIIMS to 23 in the country.” He stated that AIIMS Bhopal will provide health facilities for the entire state and holds a special importance for things like Clinical Protocol, Reference Standard and Bench Marking in health services.”

Addressing the diamond jubilee celebration of Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College, Indore, Dr Mandaviya said, “the name of the institute is associated with respected Mahatma Gandhi. Inspired by the principles given by respected Bapu, Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has gifted a new education policy to the country. The government has started work on the principle of One District One Medical College to convert all districts in the country into Ayushman districts.” “With the opening of a medical college, a huge system is created to monitor health and public health in that district. When we claim that we will eradicate TB by the year 2025 and today, Kala-azar and leprosy are also on the verge of extinction, it is meant that it is the responsibility of these medical colleges to free the respective districts in which they are situated from all these diseases”, he further stated.

During the occasion, Dr Mandaviya also inaugurated the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College alumni network and released postal stamp and diamond jubilee souvenir of the institute. He also released the book “Essential Pediatrics”, written in Hindi by Dr V K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog.

Dr Mandaviya also applauded the residents of Indore for their cleanliness and participation in setting an example of preventive healthcare for the country. He said, “the most special thing about the Indore model of preventive healthcare is that it is sustainable as well as scalable and affordable.” He further stated that Indore had earlier set an example for the entire country with its cleanliness and now in the matter of preventive healthcare.

In the spirit of “Sarve Santu Niramaya”, “Health of Indore”, the world’s largest preventive healthcare survey was undertaken to promote preventive healthcare and avoid lifestyle diseases. Under this survey, more than 20 lakh tests have been conducted for more than 2 lakh people in Indore. According to this survey which lasted for 2 years, almost half of the population of Indore was found to be a victim of one or more lifestyle related diseases. One or more test reports of about 49 percent of the people surveyed were found to be abnormal.

Underscoring the success of the survey, the Union Health Minister said that “the Health of Indore campaign is now going to become the Health of India campaign of preventive health care, where preventive health care tests of more than 10 lakh people will be conducted in more than 10 cities of the country.” He also launched the “Health of Indore” book and “Health of Indore” bot during the event.