Marking a significant milestone in public health infrastructure, the health & family welfare department, government of Nagaland launched the Nagaland State Drugs Testing Laboratory (NSDTL) at Kohima on April 29, 2025.
In a press release, controlling & licencing authority, H&FW department, Tiatoshi Amer, said the drugs testing laboratory was along felt need as Nagaland being primarily a consumer state and availability of sub-standard medicines in the market could not be ruled out.
The laboratory was established under the centrally sponsored scheme “Strengthening of State Drugs Testing Laboratory (SSDRS)” at a cost of Rs.12.94crore which included component for the construction of the drugs control administration office cum laboratory building and purchase of equipment.
The laboratory has a capacity of testing 1000 samples per annum. NSDTL is located at ground floor with a plinth area of 285 Sq.m and 3rd Floor with a plinth area of 255 Sq.m.
The department said it has a plan to further establish microbiology lab in the 2nd Floor of the building within a few years and accreditation of NABL with the expansion of testing capacity to 2500 samples per annum.
NSDTL is equipped with all requisite high-end instruments to test modern (Allopathy) Drugs samples in both solid dosage and oral liquids formulations.
Currently, the department send samples for analysis to outside state approved lab that causes delay in receiving test report of about three to four months which adversely affects further investigation process.
However, with the launching of the laboratory, the state would now have its own quality analysis report of drug samples within a short period of time, which would enhance the efficiency of drugs regulation in the state.
Hereafter, any sample tested not of standard quality (NSQ), the state drugs control administration Nagaland would not hesitate to take prompt legal action against any defaulting firms whether it be manufacturing company or local medicine dealers.
Commissioner & Secretary Anoop Khinchi formally launched the laboratory in the presence of H&FW department director (HoD) Dr. Mereninla Senlem, along with a host of senior officers from the H&FW directorate and the districts.
The inaugural programme was also attended by Drugs Control Officer (India) Welfare Association (DCO(I)WA) national president G.Koteshwar Rao, Haryana drugs controller (Rtd) Prof. Narender Ahooja and Haryana deputy drugs controller(Rtd) Rajender Harna.