The government of Kerala has taken away the powers of Ayurveda drugs controller and handed over the same to the state drugs controller (allopathy). No new SLA for Ayush has been appointed so far due to shortage of qualified and experienced hands in the department.
Industry sources allege that lack of formation of an exclusive department, with a director on top for enforcement purpose (drugs control administration), is posing a big challenge to the objectives of the Ayush department.
Government of Kerala constituted separate Department for Ayush on June 18, 2015 by delinking ‘Ayush wing’ from the Health & Family Welfare Department.
The Ayush department must consist of three separate independent departments such as Department of Indian Systems of Medicines, Department of Medical Education and Department of Drugs Control Administration. Each of these wings should also come under separate directors.
Sources from government said, with no independent drugs control administration (DCA) under ayush, managed either by a director or drugs controller, the health department’s new entity, Department of Ayush, is not functioning in full swing. Besides, lack of an independent DCA under ayush will not fetch the desired result of the government for a smooth functioning of the Ayurveda sector.
As per information from government sources, soon after the formation of ayush department in 2015, the government had set up separate departments for ISM and Medical Education within the Ayush. But, formation of the drugs control wing of ayush was set aside and not delinked it from the control of the state drugs controller (allopathy). Instead, post of a deputy drugs controller was created and a senior professor from the Ayurveda college in Thiruvananthapuram was appointed in-charge drugs controller and assigned the power to issue licenses (SLA).
In May this year, the government took away the powers given to the in-charge deputy drugs controller and handed over the same to the state drugs control department. With this, the Ayurveda drugs control administration has come again under the control of allopathic division. The former government in Kerala had formed the Ayush Department considering the long standing demand and pressure of the Ayurveda community in the state. Now, associations of ayurvedic drug manufacturers and Ayurveda medical officers maintain silence over the decision of the present government for assigning the Ayurveda DC’s power with the allopathy DC.
The primary aim of the government, in forming Ayush Department, was to ensure a more focused approach towards issues relating to the healthcare, research, drugs production & distribution, and education sector of ayurveda, yoga & naturopathy, unani, siddha and homoeopathy practices in Kerala. Government has clarified that ayurveda and homeopathy play an important role in the healthcare delivery system of the state. But it is showing a lackadaisical attitude towards the demand of the ayurveda community for a state enforcement officer for ayush.
Meanwhile, sources from government said a senior drug inspector in the Ayurveda department will be given charge of SLA because the allopathy DC cannot issue licences. But, according to experts, government cannot assign a drug inspector, with mere five years experience, for the post of SLA as the licences are issued either by Assistant Drugs Controllers or by Deputy Drugs Controllers.
In the department of Ayurvda in Kerala, there is only one officer in the rank of Deputy Drugs Controller who was assuming the powers of SLA and in-charge DC till six months ago.