Substandard drugs in the market

While we appreciate the directive of the High Court to stop production of twenty drug companies we are dismayed at the role of the drug administration which failed to take immediate action against the companies at fault.

Earlier the parliamentary standing committee on the health ministry appointed an expert committee which recommended revoking the licenses of the drug companies that repeatedly failed to comply with the good manufacturing practices (GMP).  Since then more than one month has passed but the health ministry, particularly the drug administration, is yet to implement the recommendation of the expert committee. The drug authority's attempt to gloss over their inaction by citing legal loopholes is unacceptable. We wonder what restrained them to immediately seal the factories of the unscrupulous drug companies and order them to withdraw their medicines from the market. We wonder also whether the drug administration is aware of the fact that between April 2016 when the closure was recommended by the Committee and now, a huge quantity of substandard drugs have entered the market. Who will take the responsibility for the health hazards inflicted by these drugs? 

We hope the directive of the High Court would help accelerate the process of revoking the licenses of the faulty drug companies. The authority should also take immediate action to withdraw the substandard drugs from the market and make people aware about these harmful products.