Health Ministry reviews blood transfusion services, sets December 2026 target for universal access to safe blood

April 22, 2026 3:08 PM

Health Ministry reviews blood transfusion services, sets December 2026 target for universal access to safe blood

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Wednesday convened a high-level national review meeting with States and Union Territories to assess preparedness of blood banks and transfusion services, outlining a roadmap to ensure universal access to safe blood by December 2026. The meeting, held via video conference, was chaired by Rakesh Gupta, who also serves as Director General of the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO). Representatives from all 36 States and UTs participated in...

CDSCO Issues Advisory to Prevent Misleading Promotion of Prescription Drugs for Obesity

March 11, 2026 9:30 PM

CDSCO Issues Advisory to Prevent Misleading Promotion of Prescription Drugs for Obesity

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) has issued an advisory to pharmaceutical manufacturers, importers, and marketing authorization holders to ensure strict compliance with the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules, 1945 in the promotion and marketing of prescription medicines, particularly GLP-1 receptor agonists and similar drugs indicated for obesity and metabolic disorders. The advisory highlights concerns regarding certain promotional activities, incl...

Centre reviews cough syrup quality amid reports of child deaths in Madhya Pradesh

October 6, 2025 10:37 AM

Centre reviews cough syrup quality amid reports of child deaths in Madhya Pradesh

In the wake of the recent child deaths in Madhya Pradesh, allegedly linked to the consumption of contaminated cough syrups, the Union Health Ministry convened a high-level meeting on Sunday to review drug safety measures. The meeting focused on ensuring strict compliance with drug quality norms and promoting the rational use of cough syrups, particularly among paediatric patients, the ministry said in a statement. The discussions were prompted by reports from Chhindwara, where several child fa...

Drug Regulator Alerts Doctors and Health Professionals on Theft of Multiple Novo Nordisk Drug Products

August 22, 2025 8:05 PM

Drug Regulator Alerts Doctors and Health Professionals on Theft of Multiple Novo Nordisk Drug Products

India’s drug regulator has issued an alert regarding the theft of several batches of injectable medicines belonging to Novo Nordisk during transit. According to a notice issued by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), Dr. Rajeev Raghuvanshi, “Novo Nordisk has reported a theft of its products, as listed below, during transit from its Bhiwandi hub to distribution routes covering Nagpur, Raipur, Cuttack, and Kolkata.” The DCGI further cautioned that the stolen products are temperatu...

Centre launches SHRESTH Index to boost state drug regulatory systems

August 13, 2025 11:24 AM

Centre launches SHRESTH Index to boost state drug regulatory systems

The Union Health Ministry on Tuesday launched the State Health Regulatory Excellence Index (SHRESTH), an initiative aimed at benchmarking and strengthening state drug regulatory systems through a transparent, data-driven framework. Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava, unveiling the index alongside Drug Controller General of India Dr. Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, said the initiative will help states identify gaps in their regulatory capacity and work towards achieving “maturity certifi...