Author: Pioneer News Service
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: February 21, 2009.
URL: http://www.dailypioneer.com/157924/SC-raps-Ramadoss-hard-on-knuckles-issues-notices.html
The Centre's decision to discontinue vaccine
production at three of its top-billing vaccine manufacturing PSUs got a rap
from the Supreme Court on Friday with the man facing the heat for his misadventure,
Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss, asked by the court to justify his
action.
The Government's order of January 15, 2008,
closing three among the century-old vaccine units - Pasteur Institute, Coonoor
(Tamil Nadu), Central Research Institute, Kasauli (Himachal Pradesh) and BCG
Vaccine Laboratory, Chennai - was exposed by The Pioneer through a series
of investigative stories which showed the closure move benefited Ramadoss's
close associates.
The Bench of Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan
and Justice P Sathasivam found substance in the petition filed by former Union
Health Secretary and former Planning Commission member SP Shukla, along with
several NGOs, indicating the manner in which India's goal to achieve self-sufficiency
in vaccine production was virtually stalled and the multi-crore industry sold
out to private players, intent to sell vaccines with a higher price tag.
The PSUs suffered this fate after an inspection
report by the Health Ministry found that the three units did not conform to
the World Health Organisation (WHO) standards of good manufacturing practice
(GMP).
The petition stated that just about Rs 50
crore were required to make the PSUs achieve the WHO grade. But the Minister
abruptly closed the PSUs down and ordered import of Japanese vaccine which
did not meet the GMP norms. Nothing prevented the PSUs from making vaccine
for domestic use as non-adherence to GMP norms only barred their export.
New heads were appointed at the three institutes
and the Minister, who did not release Rs 50 crore for the PSUs' modernisation,
allotted huge amounts to construct a "vaccine park" at Chennai to
offer private companies huge space and huge market to operate business from
his constituency.
Taking note of this concern, the Bench issued
notices to Ramadoss, the Health Ministry, the Drug Controller General of India,
States of Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh, and the three PSUs.
Incidentally, the petition came up just a
day after the Health Ministry was severely reprimanded by a parliamentary
Standing Committee for its decision to close the vaccine PSUs. The committee,
headed by Amar Singh, even recommended the immediate opening of the three
units.
Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, who argued
for the petitioner, pointed out the contribution made by the institutes, which
were at the peak of its performance when closure was abruptly ordered. "The
Government may be taking some follow-up action," the Bench suggested,
wanting to believe that in the light of the parliamentary committee's report,
the Government would take corrective steps.
The petition sought to expose the Minister's
design to award vaccine licences to persons and companies associated with
him. One such company was Green Signal Bio Pharma, run by Sundaraparipoornan,
who was a close associate of Ramadoss. Citing The Pioneer reports, the petitioner
alleged transfer of crucial resources - such as seed virus and guinea pigs
- to Green Signal Bio Pharma by one N Elangeswaran, the then director of BCGVL
and Pasteur Institute. Elangeswaran had later admitted that he was forced
to close the units following pressure from the Ministry.
Seeking an expert committee's formation for
inquiring into these allegations, the petitioner suggested the immediate reopening
of the units. In support of its prayer, the petition stated that the vaccine
industry, estimated at more than $ 150 million in India alone, had already
begun to reap rich gains for private players.
In November 2006, the Pasteur Institute purchased
measles seed from Green Signal Bio Pharma for Rs 3.25 crore, which was available
for free from a Hyderabad-based PSU. The Government later sanctioned Rs 17.80
crore for the Pasteur Institute for measles vaccine production in collaboration
with Green Signal company. The private company was to take home 70 per cent
of the profit in the business.
