The Tamil Nadu health department’s efforts to support and develop Indian Systems of Medicines (ISM) in the state is unlikely to succeed as the newly appointed Commissioner is allegedly acting arrogantly with the local manufacturers and taking no step to meet the representatives of the industry associations, it is alleged.

The government has recently appointed a senior IAS officer as the ISM Commissioner because of complaints from the industry against the former department head whose lethargic attitude in issuing licences had seriously affected the growth of the industry very much.

Sources in the sector say that the government wants to develop the traditional systems of medicines, but the officials in the department are blocking these efforts. The situation is exploited by multi national companies (MNCs) who sell their product in all parts of the state. There is allegation that some officials are clandestinely supporting the multinationals for personal benefits. The sufferers are the local manufacturers and the common people.

Seeing the plight of the industrial units, the Tamil Nadu branch of the Indian Drugs Manufacturers Association (IDMA) has urged the state government to immediately intervene and solve the problems being faced by them. They informed the government that a sizable number of the manufacturing units had already closed down and equally good number of units were on the verge of closure due to the apathy of the Commissionerate.

Since the Commissionerate is not issuing manufacturing licences, no new proprietary drug is produced or sold in Tamil Nadu for the last six years and big multinational companies are exploiting the situation. Since the TN ISM department has stopped issue of licensse, a group of desperate Ayush companies sought the assistance of Kerala Ayush Cluster, ‘CARe Keralam’, for technical support to pass the certification processes for their finished products.

“Even after several years of requests, the office of the Commissioner of Indian Medicines is not taking any step to issue licences for fresh products and for the existing ones. Since no new licence is issued, all the traditional drugs manufacturing companies are producing only certain conventional medicines. Even the department head is not interested to meet the industry leaders and listen to their woes”, said a senior industry leader.

Of late, a group of industry leaders have met the health minister who, after detailed discussion, directed the health secretary to hold discussions with the manufacturers and sort out their issues. After this, a senior IAS officer has been appointed as the Commissioner of Indian Medicines, primarily to hold discussions with the industry and find lasting solutions to their problems. But, the new Commissioner is neither giving any appointment to the industry people nor wants to discuss with any of the associations, the sources informed Pharmabiz.

The minister also directed the office of the Indian medicines to take up the issues and consider them favourably.