September 1: With the increase in coronavirus infection, the demand for sanitizer has skyrocketed. Not only have domestic pharmaceutical industries started producing sanitizers, the imported sanitizers are also widely available in the market. However, the risk of infection has further increased as the sanitizers are imported without quality check.

The Department of Drug Administration (DDA) has given permission to 40 pharmaceutical companies for the production of sanitizer since April. Among them, 30 have already started commercial production. Although Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology monitors the quality of sanitizers produced by the industries in Nepal, sanitizers are being imported from the customs points without quality inspection.

The department has made a criteria for domestic industries that there should be 80 percent ethanol in the sanitizer. Regardless of this, the department is ignorant about the standard for the sanitizers that are being imported from countries including India and China.

According to Ramesh Sukmani, officer at Birgunj Customs Office, there is no provision of ensuring the quality of sanitizer at customs points.

 “DDA has sent a letter to allow the import till mid-October,” he said.

Spokesperson of DDA Santosh KC informed that they have extended the time period for the importers to register the products from July to September.

 “The time period has been extended after the importers said that it was difficult to present the documents due to the lockdown,” he told New Business Age. The department says that the quality will be monitored after registration of the products.

A recent study by Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) found that 45 percent sanitizers that are available in the Nepali market are of poor quality. NAST warns of an increased risk of infection as such sanitizers cannot incapacitate the virus.