SC issues notice to Ramadoss

The supreme court sought on Friday an explanation from the Centre for its decision to shut down three public sector undertakings (PSUs) manufacturing vaccines such as DPT, measles, polio and BCG.

The PSUs — Central Research Institute, Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh, Pasteur Institute of India, Coonoor, and BCG Vaccines Lab, Chennai — manufactured vaccines which were distributed in government hospitals.

The apex court issued a notice to the Union health ministry, health minister Anbumani Ramadoss and the directors of the three PSUs whose operations were stopped in January 2008.

 The court was hearing a PIL alleging that the health ministry took the decision for the benefit of private companies which sell their vaccines at a higher price . Directors of these shut units have started their own private companies for manufacturing these vaccines, petitioners alleged.

Ramadoss, however, said the PSUs were shut down because they did not meet World Health Organisation (WHO) requirements.

Earlier on Wednesday, a  parliamentary panel headed by Samajwadi Party MP Amar Singh had criticised the Centre’s decision to shut down the PSUs.