Union Health Ministry Proposes 10 New Import Gateways For Drugs And Medical Devices: What It Means For Patients

Union Health Ministry Proposes New Import Gateways For Drugs And Medical Devices (Credits: iStock)

A medicine imported into India may travel hundreds of kilometres inland after arriving at a port or airport before reaching a warehouse or distribution centre. The Union Health Ministry wants to make that journey more efficient by widening the list of places where healthcare products can enter the country.

On November 3, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare proposed an amendment to Rule 43A of the Drugs Rules, 1945. The draft seeks to add 10 locations to the authorised import network for drugs, medical devices and cosmetics. These comprise 8 Inland Container Depots (ICDs), 1 Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and Noida International Airport.

The proposed locations are ICD Sonipat, Piyala and Harsaru in Haryana; ICD Dadri in Uttar Pradesh; ICD Gandhidham/Mundra in Gujarat; ICD Sanath Nagar and Thimmapur in Hyderabad, Telangana; and ICD Whitefield in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The list also includes Bommasandra SEZ in Karnataka and Noida International Airport in Uttar Pradesh, specifically for importing drugs by air.

Rule 43A specifies the ports, airports, railway stations, road crossings and other designated entry points through which drugs may be imported into India. A shipment cannot be…

Original source: https://www.timesnownews.com/lifestyle