Bihar resident booked for selling MTP kits online
The local health department has got two cases registered against a Bihar resident for allegedly selling MTP (medical termination of pregnancy) kits through online market places.
The MTP kit, which is a Schedule H drug, is to be used only under the supervision of a service provider, and at a medical facility. Two cases have been registered against Ritesh Kumar, a resident of Bihar, at Thanesar City police station.
Department officials said information had been received that the kits were being sold illegally without prescription. Using the kit, comprising tablets containing mifepristone and misoprostol, can lead to major complications, and may even prove fatal in some cases.
The officials raised the issue with the Drugs Control Officer, Kurukshetra, Gulshan Kumar, who filled the requisite details and ordered three kits from two market places, to be delivered at the New Mini Secretariat. On Monday, the kits were received and the cases were registered.
In the complaint, the health official mentioned that the seller had sold the drug without verifying if it was meant for a medical facility, or if the buyer was a Registered Medical Practitioner. The invoice also did not mention the 'Retail Sale Drugs Licence' and other statutory details, which was a violation of the Drugs Cosmetics Act.
Dr Gourav Bansal, on whose complaint the cases were registered, said, “As per rules, a complete record has to be maintained regarding the sale of MTP kits, else action is taken against sellers. The department also conducts raids at chemist shops to ensure that the kits are not misused. In this case, the kits were being sold online without any prescription, which is a matter of concern as the department has been working hard to improve the sex ratio.”
