Garhwal Post Bureau
DEHRADUN, 11 Oct: Acting on the strict directives of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Health Minister Dhan Singh Rawat, the State Government continues its massive crackdown to ensure children’s safety from potentially harmful cough syrups. Under this drive, the Drugs Department has intensified surprise inspections across all districts of Uttarakhand, giving top priority to the health security of children. The drive aims to ensure that no syrup posing a threat to children’s health is sold anywhere in the State.
As part of the operation, more than 350 samples of cough syrups have been collected for quality testing, while licences of over a dozen medical stores have already been cancelled and several others have been issued stern warnings. The department is conducting surprise checks at medical stores, wholesale depots, pharmaceutical industries and children’s hospitals in Dehradun, Rishikesh, Haldwani, Almora, Bageshwar and other districts. The campaign is being directly monitored by Health Secretary and Commissioner, Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA), R Rajesh Kumar, who is reviewing daily progress reports from field teams. The operation is being led by Additional Commissioner (FDA) Tajbar Singh Jaggi under whose guidance drug inspectors across the State are actively engaged.
In Dehradun, inspection teams led by Drug Inspector Manendra Singh Rana carried out surprise checks at Paltan Bazaar, Ghantaghar, Rishikesh Road, Jolly Grant, Ajabpur and Nehru Colony. Several syrups used for treating cold and cough among children were found separately stocked and were immediately sealed, with a ban imposed on their sale until further orders. One medical store was closed, and eleven samples were taken for testing. In Rishikesh, Drug Inspector Nidhi Raturi sealed stored cough syrups at medical shops near the Government SPS Hospital and Jolly Grant area, while in Haldwani, seven medical stores were inspected and two syrup samples collected. Similar inspections were conducted in Almora and Bageshwar, where paediatric syrups were seized for testing.
CM Dhami has reiterated that children’s safety remains the Government’s topmost priority, adding that strict monitoring of all medical stores, hospitals and pharmaceutical units must be ensured. He stated that the Government’s goal is to make Uttarakhand completely free from any syrup that poses a health hazard to children, terming it a part of the State’s zero-tolerance policy.
Health Minister Dhan Singh Rawat has also appealed to all doctors to exercise utmost caution while prescribing medicines for children and directed that no banned syrup be prescribed to children below two years of age. Health Secretary R Rajesh Kumar warned that any negligence would invite severe legal action, including licence cancellation. He added that the campaign extends beyond retail stores to pharmaceutical companies and paediatric hospitals. Additional Commissioner Jaggi stated that the operation will continue in a phased manner until unsafe drugs are completely eliminated from the State, ensuring that only safe and quality medicines are available to every child in Uttarakhand.
