Kerala Animal Husbandry directorate is at its best AGAIN !!!!!

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*Sub-standard veterinary medicine withdrawn *

 

Ignatius Pereira

 

KOLLAM: Meloxicam, an anti-inflammatory injection given to cows by the

Animal Husbandry Department, has been withdrawn on grounds that it is

sub-standard. The department, through a circular, has directed all

veterinary institutions in the State to stop Meloxicam injections.

 

The injection is mainly given to cows with arthritis, ephemeral fever,

mastitis, and prolapsed uterus.

 

Sources in the department say that thousands of cows all over the State had

been treated with the injection before its withdrawal now. In fact, there

were widespread complaints that the condition of the cows deteriorated after

the animals were treated with Meloxicam.

 

Meloxicam had been in use in the department’s district veterinary centres,

veterinary dispensaries, hospitals and polyclinics, farms, mobile veterinary

units, and sub-centres of the Integrated Cattle Development Project.

 

When contacted, Animal Husbandry Department Director R. Vijayakumar told *The

Hindu* that the Meloxicam injection was stopped following field reports from

Kottayam and Thrissur during May and June that the 30-ml injection vials

contained residues. The order for the drug was placed in March 2008 and the

circular to stop its use was issued by July-end this year.

 

It is understood that no study has been conducted to ascertain the effect of

the injection on cows. Dr. Vijayakumar says the matter has been reported to

the Drugs Controller.

 

He says only 75 per cent of the payment has been made to the manufacturer,

Nandini Medical Laboratories Private Limited. In accordance with the

agreement, the balance will be paid only after getting the test report from

the Drugs Controller.

 

The department’s purchasing committee has to be blamed for the development.

The labels on the Meloxicam vials do not have the MRP on it, though the

department had paid the manufacturer Rs.26.55 per vial.

 

But Dr. Vijayakumar says it is not practical to test the quality of the drug

first and then sanction for field use. The quality test is conducted during

the course of field use.

Separate circular

 

Meanwhile, through a separate circular, the department has banned the use

of a brand of water for injection, again on grounds that it is found to be

sub-standard. The sources say that these sterile water vials were purchased

in March 2008 and thousands of vials had been used since then. It is

manufactured by Indore-based Kabra Drugs Limited. The department had

purchased a large number of water vials at Rs.3 a vial.