VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh strengthened its drug regulation system on Tuesday with the inauguration of 11 new Drug Control Administration (DCA) buildings and two regional drug-testing laboratories. Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav virtually opened the facilities from Mangalagiri.
The new offices are located in Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam, Amalapuram, Narasaraopet, Ongole, Kavali, Nellore, Tirupati, Chittoor, Madanapalle and Kurnool, with regional labs set up in Vizag and Kurnool.
Built over 43,000 sq ft at a cost of Rs 11.12 crore, the facilities will save about Rs 15 lakh annually in rental expenses. The Minister said Rs 6 crore worth of advanced equipment will be installed in the new laboratories, enhancing the State’s drug-testing capacity and enabling quicker detection of spurious and expired medicines.
The Vijayawada lab currently tests around 4,000 samples a year. The new regional labs will add another 3,000, and a state-level lab under construction in Vijayawada—expected to be ready in three months—will add 7,000 more, raising total capacity to 13,000 samples annually.
He said the government is working to cut patients’ out-of-pocket medical expenses. Every mandal will get a Jan Aushadhi store through the BC Corporation, ensuring affordable medicines. He noted that AMRIT pharmacies nationwide sold drugs worth Rs 17,000 crore at 50–90% discounts, saving patients Rs 8,500 crore, and Andhra Pradesh will gain more as outlets increase.