India’s role as pharmacy of the world has come into focus amid COVID-19 crisis

Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla today said India’s role as a pharmacy of the world has come into focus during the COVID-19 crisis. He said, India has a world-class pharmaceutical industry that is the producer of choice for critical medications with brand recognition in all geographies and markets. He added that the pandemic produced an explosion in demand for drugs such as Hydroxychloroquine and Paracetamol produced in India.

The Foreign Secretary was giving a virtual address to the National Defence College on 'India’s Foreign Policy Options in the Emerging World Order'.

Mr Shringla said, in a coordinated response involving several branches of government and multiple private sector pharma companies, India was able to supply large volumes of these drugs to friends and consumers across the world. It is also making its medical and public health expertise and capacity available to the entire South Asian region.

He said, India has not let the pandemic come in the way of diplomatic engagements. The Foreign Secretary pointed out that India’s wise counsel and the Prime Minister’s statesmanship have been sought and appreciated at various bilateral, plurilateral and multilateral platforms.

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Pharma units face water, power supply problems:Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (GPMA)

Water, uninterrupted power supply and availability of skilled manpower are the major concerns affecting the working of pharmaceutical companies, highlighted the Goa Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (GPMA) recently.

The GPMA has asked to the government to take up the issues with various departments to help the industry. It also urged the EDC to come up with some incentives or schemes for upgradation of manufacturing units to meet ever growing requirements of regulatory guidelines.

The GPMA is also appealed to state FDA and the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), Goa to take up consultative meetings for updation of Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1945 to meet current scenario of export requirements.

The demands were made at the GPMA annual general meeting wherein Francis D’Souza, deputy chief minsiter was the chief guest. Speaking on the occasion D’Souza said that Goa’s pharmaceutical industry must take up upgradation of primary health centres as welll as discrict hospitals and Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMC). He said that there are several companies whose units are located in the state. “They must take up development of government health facilities through CSR programs,” said D’Souza.

D’Souza also urged industry to keep prices of essential medicines under control for patients. The government will provide the necessary infrastructure for smooth functioning of units, he assured industry.

Siddharth Kuncalienker, chairman, EDC was also one of the guests and in his address, he promised that the EDC would extend a helping hand to units for up gradation of their existing facilities.

Salim Veljee, director, FDA, in his address strongly recommended that CSR activities for health care centres need to be given top priority by industry for centres of health care. He pointed out that the process of simplifying  the Drugs and Cosmetic Act is ongoing and that lot of initiatives have been carried out on that front.

Earlier Suresh Kamath, outgoing president, GPMA, stressed the need of manufacturing units contributing atleast one per cent of their profitability the society.  There are over 70 units operating in Goa of which 40 units are 100% export oriented. The industry does over Rs 10,000 crore business annually which is almost 12 per cent of India’s exports in pharmaceuticals, said Kamath.

GPMA he said conducts various free medical camps across the state and gives scholarships to students of the Pharmacy College on merit and need basis. In addition it also conducts various technical seminars for pharma professionals working in various units in Goa, he said.

K Narendran, CDSO in his speech requested members to submit a copy of application for renewal of GMP to the local office for effective and faster clearance so that COPP ( certificate of pharmaceutical product) can issued by local FDA.

Sanjay Priolkar is the new GPMA president for a term of 2016-2018. Pant, treasurer GPMA proposed the vote of thanks.


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