The government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi has taken steps to fill up a few vacant posts of Drug Inspectors (DIs) at the drugs control department under the government.
The union public service commission has completed the recruitment process and recommendations will be given to six selected candidates shortly.
The new recruits are likely to join by next March, said Atul Kumar Nasa, Drugs Controller of Delhi.
Current status
Currently, the enforcement activities in Delhi are carried out by 17 drug inspectors and 3 assistant drug controllers (ADCs).
The sanctioned strength of inspectors is 31, but the government was not filling up the vacant posts for the last several years.
Also read: Recruitment for Drugs Inspector
Because of the workload of inspectors and lack of officers, the department is unable to implement all provisions of the drugs and cosmetics act and the rules properly in the region of Delhi.
Now, on the request of the department, government has taken a small step to strengthen the department.
Sanction of more posts
Sharing information, Nasa said the government has sanctioned an additional number of 15 posts of drug inspectors and three more ADCs to the department.
At present the department has three assistant drug controllers and one joint drug controller.
There is no post of deputy drugs controller in Delhi.
UPSC will conduct the examination and interview for the new posts after three months.
Also read: Proposal for framing of Rules for Drug Inspector (Medical Devices)
Work load
All over Delhi, 24,000 chemists shops are running medicine businesses, but the drugs control department is facing allegation that because of shortage of regulatory officials it is unable to check the circulation of medicines in the market.
In Delhi, drugs from all over India are coming for sale, but in all the areas inspections are not carried out due to shortage of inspecting officials.
The DC hopes that with the appointment of the new inspectors, enforcement jobs can be discharged smoothly and the acts and rules can be implemented properly.
In addition to inspecting medical shops, the drug inspectors are authorized to keep a tab on the functioning of blood banks and they must monitor the operation of the manufacturing units of medicines and cosmetics.
In Delhi, about 60 blood banks and similar number of blood storage centres are working 24 hours every day.
Because of shortage in the number of inspectors, poor inspections are done by the drugs control department in these units.
Most of the blood banks are run by major hospitals.
