The ayurvedic drug manufacturers in Orissa are up in arms against the state health & family welfare secretary's decision to purchase ayurvedic medicines from government pharmacies only for procurement and supply of essential drugs to Ayush dispensaries in the state, ignoring the ayurvedic manufacturers in the private sector.

The state health department had recently floated a tender for procuring essential drugs for supplying the same to the Ayush dispensaries in the state. But, the tender has debarred the private ayurvedic drug manufacturers from participating in the tender which has angered the private ayurvedic manufacturers who are running from pillar to post to remove the restriction on them in the tender.

The state health secretary was acting on the directive of the union health ministry. The department of Ayush, government of India, on March 29, 2007, had sanctioned Rs 221.192 lakh as grants in aid to the Orissa government for procurement and supply of essential drugs to Ayush dispensaries in the state. One of the conditions listed in the letter of grants in aid by the union health ministry was the state government should purchase essential drugs from state/central government sector pharmacies or cooperatives only (Para 4 (iv)).

Acting on the directive of the, the state health secretary decided to procure the essential Ayush drugs from the government pharmacies in the state, leaving the private ayurvedic manufacturers of the state in the lurch.

The All Orissa Ayurvedic Drug Drug Manufacturers Association (the Orissa chapter of ADMA) general secretary Gyana Ranjan Dash regretted that the state health secretary did not even heed the recommendation of ministry of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) development institute director Panchanan Dash. Dash in his letter dated August 9, 2007 urged the state health secretary "To look into the plight of the industries and formulate suitable policies for the micro and small industries having GMP and other quality certificates to participate in the open tender especially in government purchase programmes for the benefit of the micro and small enterprises n particular and industrial development of the state in general".

The agitated ayurvedic drug manufacturers in the state have now approached the ayurvedic drug manufacturers association (ADMA) to intervene in the matter for the survival of the state SSI ayurvedic industries.

When contacted, ADMA general secretary Ranjit Puranik said the association will soon take up the issue with the department of Ayush for an amicable solution to this grave issue.