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 Finding regulatory violations in two private hospitals operating in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, the Telangana drugs control administration (DCA) has issued advisories to all the private hospitals in the state mandating strict obtainment of NDPS licence (NDPS Form II) from the DCA to purchase and sell NDPS drugs.
This official announcement from the directorate of the DCA has come in the wake of a series of raids on two hospitals and seizure of huge quantities of illegal possession of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances (NDPS) from the medical institutions in the twin cities recently.
According to officials, this is the second time the department of drugs control administration issues advisories to private hospitals warning them of stern action unless they do not obtain NDPS licences from the department for purchasing and selling narcotic drugs. The advisory wants the hospital management to handover the licences to the doctors for the use of these restricted drug products during surgical procedures. It said that the hospitals could obtain a Certificate of Recognition (Form 3G) from the drugs control administration. Illegal possession, purchase and sale of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances are punishable under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, said the regulatory office.
Last week, a series of surprise raids were conducted on two private hospitals operating in Hyderabad and in Secunderabad by a group of officials from the drug control administration and the prohibition and excise department in Telangana and huge stocks of illegally stocked narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances were detected from both the premises. It was the third incident of the same nature that happened in Telangana in the last two weeks. The department feels that this series of incidents shed light on one fact that the private hospitals in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad are centres of illegal sale of narcotics drugs as well as psychotropic substances. The officials said the hospitals are stocking narcotic drugs for sale without NDPS license. Hence, the drug control administration issued advisories.
The regulators said, in the first operation at the Bakoban Hospital at Chandrayangutta in Hyderabad, apart from the hospital premises, drugs were seized from the possession of the hospital owner, Abdul Rahman. The seized stocks included narcotic drug, Fentanyl Injections 50 mcg/ml ampoules and psychotropic substances such as ketamine hydrochloride injections 50 mg/ml vials and midazolam injections 1mg/ml (10 ml vial).
In Secunderabad, the raid was conducted at BVK Reddy Hospital at Boudhnagar in Warasiguda, and it was the second operation conducted by the joint group of officials in the city in this month. In the raid, the seized products included 21 ampules of fentanyl citrate injections 50 mcg/ml, five vials of ketamine hydrochloride injections 50 mg/ml and nine vials of midazolam injections 1mg/ml. In addition to this, the officers seized narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances from the possession of the accused, T. Naresh Kumar of the hospital.
Cases have been registered against the medical institutions under the NDPS Act at Charminar Prohibition & Excise Station and Musheerabad Prohibition & Excise Station. Further investigation will be carried out and action will be taken as per the law against all the offenders, said VK Kamalasan Reddy director general of the DCA and director of the excise department.
The officers participated in the raids included drug inspectors from the DCA, B. Lekshmi and B. Govinda Singh, and excise inspectors D. Ramakrishna, K. Swetha Kumari, K. Prasanna Reddy and Nagalekshmi.
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