All that was discussed in the House through the day
Centre has alerted drug licensing authorities of all states and Union Territories (UT) to issue directions to manufacturers against using propylene glycol supplied by Maya Chemtech India Pvt Ltd, Bhagwanth Khuba, minister of state in the ministry of chemicals and fertilisers, told Rajya Sabha on March 14, 2023.
The directions were issued after the firm supplied excipient to Marion Biotech, allegedly linked to the cough syrup deaths in Uzbekistan. Following the deaths of 18 children in Uzbekistan after consuming sub-standard cough syrups, the World Health Organization (WHO) had issued an alert against two liquid dosage medicines manufactured by Noida-based Marion Biotech Pvt Ltd.
Following these events, Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), in coordination with State Drugs Controller, Uttar Pradesh, conducted a joint investigation at Marion Biotech, Khuba said.
“Drug samples were drawn from the manufacturing premises under the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 for test and analysis. Further, the manufacturing license of the firm was suspended by State Licensing Authority, Uttar Pradesh, on January 9, 2023,” the minister added.
Some 24 samples of drugs/raw materials were declared as ‘Not of Standard Quality’. Of these, 22 samples fall under the category of adulterated/spurious under Section 17A and 17B of the act, which can cause grievous hurt to patients. An FIR was lodged on March 2 in the concerned police station and three persons have been arrested, Khuba said.
The Union government has laid down Indian Public Health Standards to improve health infrastructure and services in public health facilities, Bharati Pravin Pawar, minister of state in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare told the Rajya Sabha.
These standards include norms for services, infrastructure, human resources, diagnostics, equipment, medicines etc.
As per established norms, in rural areas, a sub-health centre should serve 5,000 people living in plains and 3,000 in hilly and tribal areas.
A primary health centre (PHC) is ideal for 30,000 people living in plains and 20,000 in hilly and tribal areas. And a community health centre for a population of 120,000 (in plain) and 80,000 (in hilly and tribal areas) is recommended.
Further, in urban areas, an urban health wellness centre is recommended for a population of 15,000 to 20,000; and an urban PHC for 30,000 to 50,000 people, the minister said.
During the last four months, more than 1,900 omicron sub-variants have been detected among the samples analysed across the country, Pawar told the Rajya Sabha.
The prevalence of anaemia among children aged 6-59 months in the country, according to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) 5 (2019-21), is 67.1 per cent.
The figure, according to the previous NFHS survey, was 58.6 per cent. Anaemia cases among pregnant women currently is at 52.2 per cent, up from 50.4 per cent in NFHS-4 (2015-16).
The prevalence of anaemia among adolescent girls (15-19 years) is 59.1 per cent, up from 54.1 per cent during NFHS-4, the minister added.
Comprehensive state-wise information on the number of natural disasters and loss and damage caused to citizens are not maintained by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, minister of state, told the Lok Sabha.
However, according to the information furnished by states, 1,997 lives were lost and 1.8 million hectares of agricultural area was affected due to hydro-meteorological disasters during the year 2022-23.
The estimated number of female operational holders in the country was 20.4 million, Narendra Singh Tomar, minister of agriculture and farmers welfare, told the Lok Sabha, citing the agriculture census 2015-16.
The number of female beneficiaries registered under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme as of March 9, 2023, is 30.56 million, said Tomar.
A total of 10,967 public electric vehicle chargers are currently operational in the country, Krishan Pal Gurjar, minister of state for heavy industries, told the Lok Sabha, citing Bureau of Energy Efficiency data.
Some 186,417 cattle died as on March 6, 2023, Parshottam Rupala, minister for animal husbandry and dairying, told the Lok Sabha.
No survey has been conducted on the spread of lumpy skin disease. However, the disease is transmitted by vectors like mosquitoes, flies, ticks, etc. Control measures are advised to the states and UTs, Rupala said.
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