There have been cases of Ayush drug adulteration: Lakshmi

New Delhi, July 28 (UNI) The Goverment today stated in the Rajya Sabha that there had been instances of adulteration in Ayush drugs but said it lacked details regarding spurious quality of these drugs.

Regarding health warnings against Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani drugs issued by the Canadian, Singapore and New York health regulatory authorities, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Panabaka Lakshmi told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply that the Centre had issued an order on October 14 last year, in the interest of public health under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 making testing of heavy metals including arsenic, lead, mercury and cadmium mandatory for export of purely herbal Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani (USA) drugs.

She said it is a self-certification mechanism for the US drug manufacturers for export purposes in which they have to submit test reports in respect of this testing along with other consignment papers.

Further, the Central Government had also directed the Pharmacopoeial Laboratory of Indian Medicines to undertake random testing of Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani drugs and the Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeial Laboratory to undertake random testing of homoeopathy mother tinctures to strengthen quality control of Ayush drugs.

To another question, she said Rs 6.67 lakh worth of Ayurvedic medicaments had been exported in 2005-06 (April-Sep) up from Rs 9.24 lakh in 2003-04.

Animal parts in Ayurveda Medicine: Regarding complaint of alleged use of animal parts as also human skull in the medicines prepared by an Uttaranchal-based pharmacy, the Minister said one of the samples received along with the complaint was found to contain DNA of human specific pattern by one of the laboratories but this was not confirmed by another which also tested it.

Accordingly, the matter was referred to Department of Health, Uttaranchal Government to investigate and take appropriate action under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.

Medical Tourism: Guidelines formulated by the Department of Ayush to prescribe minimum requirements for Ayurveda and Panchakarma centres had been circulated to all state governments for the benefit of medical tourists, she said.

CGHS Dispensaries in Chennai: The Minister replying to another question said in the 10th Plan there was no proposal to open any Ayush dispensary in Chennai, which already had 14 Allopathic dispensaries, and one Ayurvedic, Homoeo and Siddha each.

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