The government of Kerala will soon approve formation of an exclusive Department for Drugs Control Administration for Ayush to oversee the functioning of Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy systems (DCA Ayush), sources close to the health ministry informed.
 
Presently, the Ayush drugs control administration is under the control of the allopathy drugs controller and a deputy drugs controller has been given the charge for management of the office. Present system puts the administration of the Ayush always in trouble, according to sources.
 
With the opening of a separate office for Ayush DCA, the department can take independent decisions on applications and proposals received by it from the stakeholders. Further, it can submit separate proposals and projects to the government independently and implement the schemes accordingly. Now, for each and every decision making, the Ayush drugs controller in-charge has to get permission from the allopathy DC. This generally delays the issuance of renewal of licences, issuing GMP certificates, sample collection and testing etc.
 
Sources close to the Department of Ayush said once the department of drugs control is formed, it can attract more funds from state and central pools and the administrative machineries can be strengthened much. Last year, the Ayurveda Medical Manufacturers’ Organisation of India (AMMOI) had approached the government with a demand to create a separate department for Ayush drugs control administration and their proposal was considered by the ministry of health. The proposal of AMMOI had also come for discussion in the last assembly session. Now the government has recognized the formation of the department in principle and the official announcement will come shortly, said the source.
 
There was complaint from the traders and manufacturing companies that lack of an independent department for Ayush DCA, the law enforcement in Ayurveda sector was in trouble and the in-charge officer was unable to take independent decisions with respect to regulatory activities. According to industry sources, scores of new and conventional Ayurveda, Unani and Homoeopathy drugs are being manufactured, sold and exported to other states and countries from Kerala every day.
 
Welcoming the decision of the government, Dr D Ramanathan, general secretary of AMMOI, said “we industry people are happy on the decision of the government, and with the creation of a new department of drugs control all the technical delays for getting certificates and renewals will be reduced and the Ayush drugs controller can take each decision independently. Further, more discipline will be there in the functioning of the department and its branches.” He wanted the government to appoint sufficient staff to strengthen the department. Presently, all over Kerala only seven drug inspectors are doing the enforcement work.

At present Kerala has 850 manufacturing companies for Ayush medicines and 40 per cent of them are engaged in export business. About 110 companies are in contract manufacturing.

The previous government in Kerala formed the Department of Ayush in August 2015 by considering the proposal made by Sam Pitroda, chairman of the National Innovation Council (NIC), who had suggested rejuvenation of ayurveda sector in his ten-point growth agenda for Kerala.