Two city blood banks stripped of licences

BANGALORE: The Drugs Control Department on Wednesday suspended the licences of two blood banks in Bangalore.
According to drugs controller (in-charge) H. Jayaram, licences of Jeeva Voluntary Blood Bank at Chamarajpet and Akshay Voluntary Blood Bank at Rajajinagar has been suspended after the department found lapses in procedures and equipment. The drugs controller has directed the blood banks to immediately stop drawing blood.
Drugs scam hearing: Deposing before Lok Ayukta on Wednesday, deputy drugs controller D.Kanti Kumar Bhaskar explained how Andhra Pradesh drugs controller recovered excess amounts from the manufacturer in 402 cases.
Bhaskar told Lok Ayukta officials that additional director general of police, drugs control administration, Hyderabad, P. Ananthasayanam Reddy, unearthed 863 cases of violations from 300 companies and informed the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) to initiate action for violating the Drugs Price Control Order.
This is in contrast to Karnataka drugs controller R. Anand Rajasekhar, who freely allowed drug manufacturers in the state to flout the drug price rules at will.
Bhaskar said NPPA told the AP drugs control administration that it would take action to recover the excess amount in 402 cases as the remaining were pending in the court.
"Most of the manufacturers are marketing these products in Karnataka too with excess prices. Though these price violations have been detected here too, no action has been initiated. Rajasekhar did not even circulate the ceiling price notification thereby preventing enforcement officers from taking action," Bhaskar said.