The Centre told the Delhi High Court on Thursday that the decision to ban private firms from producing and distributing oxytocin, a drug used to induce labour contractions during birth and control bleeding, was not a knee-jerk decision and that it was being deliberated over since 1997.
A Bench of Justice S. Ravindra Bhat and A. .K Chawla was informed by the Central government counsel that the drug was being misused in the dairy sector to increase milk secretion and production. Oxytocin is administered to pregnant women to “prevent and treat” postpartum haemorrhage, which accounts for about 35% of all maternal deaths, says the World Health Organization.
The court was hearing several pleas by private firms seeking to set aside the government’s ban.
Additional Solicitor General Maninder Acharya, appearing for the Centre, said the government was seized of the issue of misuse and abuse of oxytocin since 1997 and there was nothing new. The ASG said there was no gap in the deliberations and they were continuous and consistent.
The court had on August 31 suspended till September 30 the Central government’s prohibition on sale and manufacture of oxytocin by private companies for domestic use.
The government had in April this year restricted private companies from making or supplying the drug, which is also used to help new mothers lactate, to prevent its alleged misuse in the dairy sector.
The Centre’s notification stated that the State-run Karnataka Antibiotics and Pharmaceuticals Ltd (KAPL) was solely allowed to make the drug to meet the country’s needs.