Land allotment delay hits med devices testing lab

THE state government is set to establish the first Medical Devices Testing Laboratory in Coimbatore district for ₹29.67 crore.

- R KIRUBAKARAN @ Coimbatore

However, sources said the project is yet to commence due to delay in land identification process by the district administration.

The Medical Devices Rules, under the Drug and Cosmetics (D&C) Act, came into effect in January 2018, bringing medical devices under the broader umbrella of the Act. It required manufacturers, importers and sellers to obtain necessary permissions for their activities. Testing medical devices at government-owned laboratories is also a part of the rules. However, the drug administration department in Tamil Nadu has not performed any tests on medical devices due to the lack of a specialised laboratory in the state. After a long time, the project was officially announced in December 2024. Health Minister Ma Subramanian officially announced the project during demands for grants, sources said.