On a day to mark World Pharmacists Day, September 25, Gujarat’s pharmacists staged a protest at the Food and Drugs Control Administration (FDCA)’s office in Gandhinagar, demanding the resignation of FDCA Commissioner Hemant Koshia due to ongoing neglect and corruption within the department. 

Rajnikant Bhartiya, president of the Gujarat Pharmacists Association, stated that every district office of the FDCA has become a hub of corruption. He alleged that officials are issuing medical store licenses in exchange for bribes, enabling individuals to sell drugs used for narcotics and abortions, while also peddling counterfeit medicines, jeopardising the health of over 6.5 crore people in Gujarat.

Despite recent arrests of two drug inspectors in Ahmedabad for accepting bribes, the corruption appears to persist, with drug inspectors still collecting fees from medical stores without fear of repercussions. 

Bhartiya emphasised the need to eliminate corruption from the FDCA, calling for the removal of Commissioner Koshia and the appointment of an IAS officer in his place.

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