FDA issues show cause notice to four shops in Pune for substandard sanitisers and overcharging masks

Since the outbreak of the virus and more cases being detected in the country, people have been rushing to medical stores to buy sanitisers and masks

The Food and Drug Authority, Pune (FDA) has issued show cause notice to four medical shops in the city on Thursday after it was found that these shops were selling substandard sanitisers and overcharging for masks. FDA has conducted multiple raids since the outbreak of Covid-19 (coronavirus) in the country and people complaining about overcharging and substandard materials started making rounds.

The Food and Drug Authority, Pune (FDA) has issued show cause notice to four medical shops in the city on Thursday after it was found that these shops were selling substandard sanitisers and overcharging for masks. (HT PHOTO)

Since the outbreak of the virus and more cases being detected in the country, people have been rushing to medical stores to buy sanitisers and masks. Despite the administration and doctors repeatedly appealing that masks are not compulsory and even handkerchief can work and that washing hands with soap is effective to contain the spread of the virus, citizens have been rushing to buy sanitisers. Taking advantage of the situation, local manufacturers are supplying substandard hand sanitisers which claims to kill ‘99% germs’.

FDA administration said that these products are not approved by the authority and are ineffective in providing safety against Covid-19 virus strain. Suresh Patil, FDA Pune drug division joint commissioner, said, “We have raided 156 medical shops across the city after we received multiple complaints that bogus sanitisers are being sold and that masks are being sold at a higher price than the printed MRP. We found four such shops which were doing such malpractices, two in Kothrud, one each at Gokhalenagar and Balewadi.”

Patil said that while the stock of fake sanitisers was over, the shopkeeper was interrogated wherein he accepted that he had sold bogus product. “We have issued show cause notice to these shops and also shut down the shop temporarily. If their explanation is not satisfactory enough we may cancel their licences.”

Patil has appealed to people to reach out to FDA in case they are suspicious of any such malpractices wherein customers or even chemists are duped. He said, “One can differentiate between an original and fake sanitiser by looking for the manufacturer’s name and licence number which usually starts with the state initials like MH for Maharashtra or GJ for Gujarat.”

District collector Naval Kishore Ram too appealed to the people to contact district administration in case they find any such incidents. Naval said, “Strict action would be taken against chemists or suppliers if any such action is caught.”