E-Paper
Govt suspends Aarogya Setu portal for e-pharmacies
New Delhi: The Centre has informed the Delhi High Court that it has suspended a website which was linked to the mobile application Aarogya Setu and was promoting
New Delhi: The Centre has informed the Delhi High Court that it has suspended a website which was linked to the mobile application Aarogya Setu and was promoting sale of medicines through e-pharmacies. It said that currently there is no provision for online sale of medicines under the Drugs and Cosmetic Act, 1940. However, keeping the public interest in wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, it allowed the sale with certain conditions to be fulfilled by the license holder.
In an affidavit filed before Justice Navin Chawla, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, told the court it has realised that the retail sale of drugs to the doorstep of consumers is essential to meet the emergency arising due to the pandemic.
The MH&FW told the court that it amended an earlier notification it had issued on the sale of online medicines and allowed the sale of online medicines to the license holders with conditions laid down under the Drugs and Cosmetic Act, 1940 as well as those by the ministry.
The affidavit was submitted to the court while hearing a plea by South Chemists and Distributors who had sought direction to the Centre to de-link a website, which is promoting sale of medicines through e-pharmacies, from Aarogya Setu mobile application.
On Tuesday, the Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Maninder Kaur Acharya told the court that the website has been de-linked from the Aarogya Setu application. She also said that if at all the website is to be re-launched, the authorities shall keep in mind the issues raised by the petitioners in the plea.
Following such submissions, Justice Navin Chawla disposed of the petition filed by South Chemists and Distributors Association.
The order, passed on Tuesday, was made available on the court’s website on Wednesday.
The plea had said that the Aarogya Mitr website is linked to the official mobile application Aarogya Setu in a “highly illegal, arbitrary and discriminatory manner” as the website promotes and acts as a marketing tool for e-pharmacies only. It had also contended that there is absolutely no basis for a government owned platform being used for promoting private commercial ventures.
