CUTTACK: Two medicine stores were on Tuesday allegedly found selling abortion kits illegally, in gross violation of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act-1971.
Acting on a tip-off, officials of the Directorate of Drug Control raided around three medicine shops - two in Ranihat and one in Arunoday market. The raids were conducted by assistant drug controllers of Circle-I and Circle-II Dharmadev Puhan and Tushar Ranjan Panigrahi respectively.
During the searches, the officials recovered several abortion kits (Mifepristone and Misoprostol combination pack) from two medicine stores, one each in Ranihat and Arunoday localities.
“Though the purchase source of the combined composition packed MTP kits were found to be authentic, the owners of the two medicine stores failed to show the requisite documents that could suggest they were selling the kits with due prescription. We will submit the raid report to the Directorate of Drug Control for issuance of show cause notice and for order on suspension of licence of these two shops in respect of purchase and sale,” said Puhan.
The combined composition packed MTP kits should be used within a certain period of gestation at authorised healthcare facilities with the prescription of a gynaecologist as it involves in serious health risk including heavy bleeding and other complications. But, the MTP kits are being sold and used without prescription leading to a rise in maternity mortality, Puhan added.
“Earlier, we had created awareness and now have started carrying out enforcement to curb the illegal sale and use of MTP kits,” he said adding, special focus is on the medicine shops operating near colleges and other educational institutions.