State planning scheme to dispose of expired drugs

Mention about this in Governor’s policy address to the Assembly

The State government is planning to extend the Programme on Removal of Unused Drugs, a scheme to dispose of unused and expired drugs, across the State.

It was launched by the Drugs Control Department in association with traders in Thiruvananthapuram district sometime ago. This was against the backdrop of the threat posed by such drugs to the anti-microbial resistance capabilities in humans and animals, Governor Arif Mohamed Khan said, in his policy address to the Assembly on Wednesday.

The ongoing screening mechanism for non-communicable diseases such as blood pressure and diabetes in four districts would be extended to other districts. The

Nayanamrutham scheme to screen diabetic retinopathy patients, right now being implemented in Thiruvananthapuram district, would be extended to other places.

New schemes such as

Amma Manassu for ensuring better mental health of pregnant women, a State-level suicide prevention project, and a mental health scheme for tribal hamlets and coastal areas, would be launched.

A liver transplantation unit would be opened at the Government Medical College Hospital, Kottayam. The aggregator-model ambulance service with life-saving support is being implemented as part of the Samagra Trauma Care scheme. A food hygiene rating and branding system would be launched to raise the standards of food sale.

A centre to train children in the 3-6 age group with growth disorders would be launched at the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Kozhikode. A centre of excellence for fertility treatment would be set up at Kannur under the Homoeo Directorate.