Latest news with #FoodSafetyandDrugAdministration
Time of India
6 days ago
- General
- Time of India
DC orders fire safety compliance in hosps
Lucknow: Hospitals in the city will have to conduct regular fire safety drills in compliance with the fire and electrical safety norms. These directives were issued by divisional commissioner Roshan Jacob during a review meeting held on Wednesday for health infrastructure and care. Jacob said that hospitals must be equipped with fire safety systems, valid safety certificates and alternative emergency exits. She mandated fire safety training for all hospital staff and ordered regular mock drills with routine electrical safety checks. The mandatory presence of doctors, full-time night OPDs, maternity services and effective operation of Jan Aushadhi Kendras have been emphasised. Regular inspections of these centres are to be conducted by the Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA). A drive has been launched to issue identity cards to senior citizens above 70 years of age, noting that only 37,113 out of 1,42,967 eligible persons received them so far. The monthly distribution of iron syrup to pregnant women, lactating mothers, adolescent girls and children has been emphasised under the Anaemia Mukt Bharat initiative. Further directives include ensuring adequate hospital staffing, full operation of health ATMs, routine monitoring of diagnostic services and the organisation of screening camps and vaccination drives in every village. The meeting was attended by joint development commissioner KK Singh, additional director (health) Dr GP Gupta, chief medical officer and others.
Hindustan Times
29-05-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Improving healthcare in UP govt hosps: Facility heads instructed to take rounds, click picture & upload
Heads of all government hospitals have been directed to take rounds of wards before OPD starts in the morning and in the evening, interact with patients, check the quality of food being served, and check the functioning of services at all counters on the hospital campus. In a letter issued by principal secretary, medical and health, Partha Sarthi Sen Sharma, to all chief medical superintendents of government hospitals, the doctors have been instructed, 'To click pictures of rounds taken and upload the same on WhatsApp group.' 'For making patients comfortable in hospital and for a better image of the facility, it is significant that staff behaviour is good and services are provided. Speaking with a few patients will help understand their issues and they can be resolved too.' Checking of patient care services is to be done regularly. Get the food supplied to patients tested by the Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA) officials, the doctors have been told. Check if the hospital staff is forcing patients to purchase medicines or any other consumable from outside stores, the letter instructs the hospital incharges. During summer, functioning of air coolers and water coolers should be checked along with electrical fitting and wiring. During the rounds take supervisors of outsourcing agencies along, so that issues concerning them are resolved. 'If the hospital in-charge is not present, the next senior most doctors should take the round,' said Sen Sharma, who is also principal secretary medical education. Members of the Rogi Kalyan Samiti shall be included while on the rounds and their recommendations be forwarded to director-general, medical and health, or director, medical care via additional director, health, the letter instructs.
Hindustan Times
24-05-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Fewer labs, pending cases ail Uttar Pradesh's food safety system?
The 'delay' in making public the test report of food items' samples collected during the surprise raid by Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) at nearly 20 outlets in Lucknow on May 14 is not only adding to public anxiety but also raising concerns about the efficiency of state's food safety system even as officials concerned cite backlog at food testing laboratories as the reason for it. Uttar Pradesh has six existing food testing labs in Lucknow, Agra, Meerut, Jhansi, Gorakhpur and Varanasi. 'Massive backlog at food testing laboratories has severely hampered the FSDA's ability to carry out timely testing and enforcement,' said an official of FSDA on the condition of anonymity. The raids sparked widespread debate on social media with consumers expressing concern over the quality and safety of the food being served at the outlets. The step was expected to serve as a wake-up call, prompting swift action and transparency from authorities. However, due to the delay citizens continue to unknowingly consume potentially unsafe food. The lack of a rapid testing mechanism exposes a gaping hole in the state's food safety infrastructure. Without timely results, these sampling drives serve no purpose. Officials acknowledge that as per the FSDA Act 2006, food sample test reports are legally required to be released within 14 days. However, in reality, this timeline is rarely met. This delay often benefits adulterators, while honest establishments suffer reputational damage as their names remain under suspicion for extended periods. Commissioner, FSDA, Rajesh Kumar said, 'Yes there are some pending samples in the six labs. However 12 new labs are expected to start in state soon. These labs will significantly boost the state's testing capacity—up from the current 36,000 samples annually to nearly 1.80 lakh.' 'Currently, there is pendency of around 2000 samples in every lab and that's why they are taking longer time to give results of testing. The expansion aims to drastically reduce delays in testing food and drug samples, which currently take up to two months in some cases due to limited capacity in our six existing labs in Uttar Pradesh,' he added. 'The coming up of new labs will also ensure safer, higher-quality food and drug products for the public, enhancing consumer safety and regulatory enforcement in the state,' Kumar said. Adulteration thrives amid delays According to officials, the delay stems from a massive backlog in the state's food testing laboratories. Most of these are have pending cases, lack modern equipment and operate with limited technical staff. As a result, even urgent samples collected during raids face long delays in processing—making timely enforcement nearly impossible. As consumers grow increasingly uneasy, the situation underscores the urgent need for strengthening the state's food safety infrastructure and improving transparency in public health governance. While adulterated or substandard food may still be served across the city, consumers remain in the dark. Public health experts warn that inaction in such cases endangers lives. Outlets' owners for quick reports, transparency 'There are still no test results, no updates, and no accountability—raising serious questions over the purpose of the entire exercise,' said the owner of a food outlet from where the samples were collected last week. Another restaurant owner from Hazratganj, urging anonymity, said FSDA officials collected samples from his establishment nearly a month ago but the report is still pending. 'If FSDA cannot act with urgency in matters that directly affect consumer health, one must ask—who is this system really protecting?' he said. 'Our demand is clear: The FSDA must not only accelerate its testing processes but also ensure transparency,' the restaurant owner said. New labs hold the key? The new laboratories are being set up in Aligarh, Azamgarh, Prayagraj, Kanpur, Chitrakoot, Devipatan, Ayodhya, Basti, Bareilly, Mirzapur, Moradabad and Saharanpur districts, said officials. 'Installation of advanced equipment is already underway. Three of these labs are expected to start functioning in month of July,' they added. A key feature of the new labs is the inclusion of advanced micro-testing machines, allowing in-state testing of products like honey, fish, and meat—analyses that earlier required sending samples to cities like Pune and Kolkata.
Hindustan Times
14-05-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Yogi orders crackdown on food adulteration, fake medicines
Declaring food adulteration and sale of counterfeit medicines as 'social crimes', Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has called for stringent action under the state's zero-tolerance policy. Chairing a high-level meeting with the Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) here on Wednesday, Yogi directed a statewide crackdown to identify and act against individuals involved in food and drug adulteration. In a first-of-its-kind deterrent, he ordered that photographs of convicted offenders be displayed at major intersections. He said that daily consumables like oil, ghee, spices, milk, and cheese should be tested, preferably at the production units. He also called for formation of special teams for intensive checks on milk and dairy products to ensure continuous monitoring. 'Additionally, professional blood donors should be identified, and effective control be established in this area,' he said, adding public health is the state's top priority and must be handled with full transparency and commitment. A government spokesperson said that the network of food and drug laboratories in the state has expanded rapidly. In addition to the six major divisions previously operating, new laboratories and offices have been established in Aligarh, Ayodhya, Azamgarh, Bareilly, Basti, Chitrakoot, Kanpur, Mirzapur, Moradabad, Prayagraj, Saharanpur, and Devi Patan divisions. The laboratory buildings in Lucknow, Gorakhpur, and Jhansi have also been upgraded. Moreover, three modern microbiology laboratories have been set up in Lucknow, Meerut, and Varanasi, enabling the testing of microorganisms, protozoa, viruses, bacteria, mycotoxins, and other pathogens. Testing has already started in Lucknow and Meerut. The chief minister suggested setting up a 'Corpus Fund' for the operation and maintenance of these laboratories. To effectively rein in the fake drug trade, the chief minister directed that coordination with the police be improved to ensure the quality and effectiveness of enforcement actions. The progress of actions to ensure the quality of medicines was also reviewed in the meeting. Officials told the chief minister that to make the food safety process transparent and accountable, the FSDA has implemented a password-protected barcode system, ensuring the confidentiality and impartiality of sample analysis. Each sample is tested digitally by scientists and is considered valid only after approval from senior officials. CM Yogi also called for enhanced coordination with police forces to tackle fake medicine rackets and emphasised speedy, citizen-satisfactory grievance redressal through the 'Food Safety Connect' mobile app and helpline (1800-180-5533). Highlighting the government's success in attracting investment in the pharmaceutical and medical device sectors, CM Yogi said that proposals to the tune of over ₹1,470 crore have been cleared in the past three years, creating more than 3,340 direct jobs. Retail pharmacy expansion has led to 65,000 new jobs across the state, he added. To reinforce enforcement capacity, the chief minister directed the FSDA to expedite recruitment to fill existing vacancies, ensuring no compromise on public health and safety.
New Indian Express
11-05-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
FDA drive to strengthen blood safety protocols across Karnataka
BENGALURU: For the first time, Food Safety and Drug Administration department (FDA) launched a drive earlier this week to inspect blood banks across the state to see lapses, if any, in storage methods and to verify compliance with mandatory testing protocols. Nearly 80 blood banks have been inspected so far as part of FDA's drive. The Food Safety Department, which has been merged with the Drug Administration, launched this drive as blood and its components are legally classified as 'drugs'. This classification, officials said, allows the department to regulate and ensure the safety of blood products through the same stringent standards applied to pharmaceuticals. By doing so, the department aims at strengthening the safety protocols related to blood donation, storage and transfusion, ensuring that all blood products meet the required quality standards and pose no risk to public health, they added. If blood bank facilities are not monitored, it may lead to violations, including improper storage conditions such as blood being kept at incorrect temperatures, which can cause contamination or spoilage. Another major risk is inadequate screening of blood for infectious diseases such as HIV, hepatitis, or syphilis, leading to potential transmission of these infections through transfusions. Additionally, violations can occur while labelling and tracking blood donations, which could result in mix-ups or administering wrong blood groups to patients, the officials said. A senior official told TNIE that the aim is to ensure rigorous hygiene and cleanliness standards in collection, storage and distribution of blood and its components. The department will focus on ensuring that blood is drawn from qualified professionals under sanitary conditions to minimise any risk to public health. In line with statutory requirements, all blood samples will undergo compulsory testing to ensure they are safe for transfusion. The official highlighted the importance of maintaining accurate records and ensuring consistency between online data and physical stock. 'The drive involves cross-checking records of blood donations, tallying figures from blood banks, and verifying that they match with the data in the online system,' the official said. He said efforts are on to ensure that blood donated at government-supported camps is provided to those in need of it.
