47 lakh were seized across the state in August. The action was reviewed at a high-level meeting at the Secretariat under the chairmanship of state Health Minister Praful Pansheriya, who directed officials to maintain a ‘zero tolerance’ approach towards fake, substandard and illegally sold medicines and food products.

According to the details presented at the meeting, the FDCA also suspended the licences of eight drug manufacturing firms and cancelled manufacturing licences for 11 medicines following risk-based inspections. Show-cause notices were issued to manufacturers of 20 medicines that were found to be substandard during laboratory testing.

Of 42 blood storage centres inspected across the state, three were issued closure orders and 12 received show-cause notices. Pansheriya said the government would take strict legal action against those compromising public health."

A special drive to assess the quality of antibiotics in rural areas resulted in 588 medicine samples being collected for testing," he said. The FDCA also carried out action against alleged networks involved in the illegal sale of narcotic and counterfeit medicines in Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar and Mehsana.

During a joint investigation with the Special Operations Group, officials seized a stock of narcotic injections, including tramadol, from a shop next to a medical store in Waghodia of Vadodara district. Proceedings under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act are being initiated, according to the department.

B. Chemicals.

75 lakh was seized or prohibited. The investigation traced a supply chain from Sena Pharma in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, to Ahmedabad and San and.

A complaint was registered with the Ahmedabad Crime Branch for further investigation into the source of the counterfeit medicines. 68 lakh from Aanki Herbal in Tragad of Ahmedabad, which was allegedly operating without a licence.

At Bavishi Dispensary in Dholikui of Kapadvanj, officials detected the illegal manufacture of a medicine described as being for small children and seized material worth Rs 66,400. The food safety campaign covered more than 2,238 food business operators in August, with around 2,591 samples collected for laboratory testing.

Among the largest seizures were 14,709 kg of oil and 6,495 kg of edible oil in Patan; 5,157 kg of ghee in Kamrej, Surat; 7,138 kg of milk in Jamnagar; and 6,071 kg of chilli powder in Deesa of Banaskantha. The department also inspected more than 1,625 restaurants and dhabas to check hygiene and food quality.