The Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA) has issued orders to Kilpauk Medical College and Stanley Medical College in Chennai, disallowing them from procuring animals, mostly mice and rabbits, for experimentation purposes.

The order follows close scrutiny of medical colleges by the CPCSEA for violations of its laid down guidelines with respect to animal houses as well as experiments on animals. In the process, the CPCSEA also rescued 34 primates from the Dr. A.L. Mudaliar Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Tharmani, Chennai.

It is alleged by the CPCSEA that the laboratory animals in the two medical colleges were being reared in abysmal conditions such that they were dying. "Animal houses have become the worst types of slaughter houses. Not only the conditions are unhygienic, the fact that students are taught the animals are not relevant shudders us," Maneka Gandhi, Chairperson commented when contacted by Pharmabiz.com.

Records at Kilpauk Medical College showed that 89 mice died between July 1 and July 23 this year. According to M.J.Badrinath, CPCSEA Inspector, this is a suspiciously high mortality rate for rodents given the fact that most of them were not used for experiments. In Stanley Medical College, it was found that rabbits were not caged and left in dark and dank room amidst their own refuses. It was found that even their feed, which comprised husks of Bengal Gram soaked in water was contaminated.

Apart from finding a carcass of a rabbit in a cage, which was not removed, the CPCSEA team found that the rabbits were suffering from sarcoptic mange with presence of fur mites. As a result of mange spreading to the rest of the body, rabbits had their fur drop off and due to irritation and itching were mutilating themselves.

The Tamil Nadu government allocated 10 paise for rat/mice and 38 paise for rabbits for their feed. This rate has been the same for the last 22 years, according to Badrinath.

At the Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, 34 primates were rescued. Mostly baby monkeys, they were paralysed below waist. According to CPCSEA, there was no option but to rescue them from the animal house.

The CPCSEA team also found no signs of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) at the Madras Medical College though the animal house at the premises was in an okay conditions. It has issued strict warning to the college to up the standards as per the GLP recommended by CPCSEA.