THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Ayurveda manufacturers in the state hope for a big leap in their trade with more than a 10-month deadlock over licences close to breaking. The Kerala Administrative Tribunal (KAT) last week had ordered to settle the issues related to licensing within a month, which the manufacturers feel will resolve the crisis the Ayurveda industry was facing for the past many months.
It was not just business that was affected, but many of the drugs including the ones prescribed for fever and other ailments were not available in the market.
Noting the Ayurveda drug production went through a crisis period, Ayurveda Medicine Manufacturers Organisation of India (AMMOI) general secretary Dr D Ramanathan said the present order of the KAT to resolve the issue of licensing will help in boosting the Ayurveda sector. However, he asked the government to post a drug licensing authority at the earliest in the wake of the order.
Noting the Ayurveda sector was facing a big crisis with the delay in appointing the licensing authority, he said, “Soon after the order came, we have given a representation to the Chief Minister to post a drug licensing authority.”
If a drug licensing authority was not appointed at the earliest, then there is no end to the ongoing crisis, he added. In the past eight months, the Drugs Control Department has not issued certificates such as free sale certificate, product certificate, non-convention certificate, 25 D licence, 26 E licence and so on.
Ramanathan said the export of Ayurveda products was also hit with the state-level monitoring committee on drug trials not meeting regularly and taking appropriate decisions. It is for this committee to evaluate the clinical trials.
“With such a delay, the state has not marketed a new product for the past four years. But many new drugs from outside Kerala has entered the market. This has led to a slow down in the manufacturing sector,” he said.
Moreover, there are also procedural delays in giving SP VII licences, which have adversely affected the manufacturing of some drugs.