Minister for Health and Medical Education, Social Welfare and Education, Sakeena Itoo, today chaired a meeting at Civil Secretariat here to review the functioning and performance of Drug and Food Control Organisation (DFCO) of Jammu and Kashmir.

The meeting was attended by Secretary Health and Medical Education, Dr. Syed Abid Rasheed Shah; Commissioner Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Smita Sethi; Director Finance Health and Medical Education department, State Drug Controller and other concerned officers.

The Minister held detailed assessment of the operational efficacy of the organisation in regulating and monitoring the standards of drugs and food products across the UT.

Addressing the officers during the meeting, the Minister directed the organisation to adopt a proactive approach in monitoring the pharmaceutical as well as food supply chains effectively. “Public health is a non-negotiable priority. There must be no compromise when it comes to the quality of medicines and food items reaching our citizens”, asserted the Minister.

She stressed upon the officers to conduct frequent checks of unlicensed pharmacist shops and take strict action against the unregistered shops. She asked the Commissioner FDA to submit a report on a monthly basis regarding the action taken on violations as well as activities. She also asked them to coordinate with Social Welfare, Education and other departments regarding conduct of workshops and camps for creating awareness among the people about spurious and substandard drugs.

The Minister urged for stronger collaboration between DFCO and law enforcement agencies to effectively tackle the violations. She also asked them to organise capacity-building workshops for the inspectors and field officers to stay updated with regulatory reforms and evolving industry standards.

While reviewing other aspects of DFCO, the Minister called for regular upgradation of laboratories besides checks and balances on Blood banks and storage facilities. She also called for faster integration of digital platforms to ensure transparency, better reporting mechanisms and prompt grievance redress.

During the meeting, Commissioner FDA gave a detailed presentation on achievements and activities of the organization.