Health Ministry Permits Drug Imports via Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram Airports

Photo:Representative Image

The Union Health Ministry has initiated efforts to allow the import of drugs into the country through Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram airports in Kerala by adding these ports to the list of places through which drugs can be imported by air under the Drugs and Cosmetics (DandC) Rules, 1945.

After consultation with the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB), the Ministry has issued a draft amendment for information on all persons likely to be affected by the amendment. It has also given notice that the draft rules shall be considered on or after the expiry of thirty days from the publication date of the draft notification in the Gazette of India.

The Ministry added that the Central government will consider objections and suggestions from any person within thirty days. The two airports will be counted as the tenth and eleventh airports through which drug imports are allowed per Rule 43A of the DandC Rules, 1945.

As per Rule 43A of the DandC Rules, no drug shall be imported into India except through one of the places listed under the Rules. Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Goa, Bengaluru, and Visakhapatnam are listed as places where air can import drugs into India.

The draft amendment proposes substituting "Bengaluru and Visakhapatnam" in the list with "Bengaluru, Visakhapatnam, Cochin and Thiruvananthapuram." The Cochin International Airport, owned and operated by Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL), is claimed to be the first Airport in the country built under public-private partnership.

It is a unique entity established with equity participation from the Government of Kerala, Non-Residential Indians, industrialists, financial Institutions, and airport service providers, with around 18,000 shareholders from 29 countries. The Airport, which started operations in 1999, has handled 61,231 international and domestic aircraft and cargo of 72,818.20 MT during 2022-23.