Gujarat Calls for Tougher Regulations on Food and Drug Adulteration and Antibiotic Use, ETHealthworld
Ahmedabad: Gujarat Health Minister Praful Pansheriya urged the Centre to enact stricter laws against food and drug adulteration and introduce stronger nationwide measures to regulate the indiscriminate use of antibiotics, saying both issues pose serious threats to public health.
Representing Gujarat at the 16th meeting of the Central Council for Health and Family Welfare (CCHFW) in New Delhi on Monday, Pansheriya also requested the Centre to establish a comprehensive organ transplant facility at AIIMS Rajkot to cater to patients from the Saurashtra and Kutch regions.
The meeting was chaired by Union Health Minister J P Nadda, a statement issued by Pansheriya’s office said.
Addressing reporters after the meeting on Tuesday, Pansheriya said the existing legal framework governing food and drug adulteration needs to be strengthened to deal with offenders more effectively.
He said the Centre should amend the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, to introduce more stringent and deterrent provisions against those indulging in adulteration of food and medicines, arguing that the existing law may no longer be adequate to tackle present-day offenders.
The minister also expressed concern over the widespread misuse of antibiotics across the country, saying antimicrobial resistance is emerging as a major public health challenge due to excessive and irrational consumption of such medicines.
Antibiotics are often prescribed unnecessarily, purchased over the counter without proper supervision or demanded by patients themselves, resulting in reduced effectiveness of these drugs against common infections over time, he said.
Pansheriya urged the Centre to formulate an effective national policy and ensure strict implementation for responsible antibiotic use.
He also called for greater awareness across government and private hospitals as well as medical colleges to minimise unnecessary prescriptions.
The Gujarat minister further requested the Union government to develop a full-fledged organ transplant facility at AIIMS Rajkot, saying advanced transplant services are currently concentrated in Ahmedabad and Surat, benefiting patients in those regions.
A transplant centre at Rajkot would make advanced treatment accessible to thousands of patients from Saurashtra and Kutch, who currently have limited access to such facilities, he said.
The meeting, attended by health ministers and senior officials from states and Union Territories, also witnessed the launch of several digital health initiatives under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, including new digital platforms for health services and operational guidelines for the Anemia Mukt Bharat campaign.
Pansheriya said the Centre encouraged states to expedite the implementation of health schemes and ensure timely utilisation of funds meant for poor and middle-class beneficiaries.
He said Gujarat shared its progress in healthcare delivery, including the state’s 108 ambulance service and the functioning of Primary Health Centres and Community Health Centres.
The minister said telemedicine was also discussed as a key tool for extending quality healthcare to remote areas, adding that the Gujarat government would continue to accelerate implementation of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission to make health services more accessible, transparent and technology-driven.
