Why is it in the news?
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The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has moved to oppose the government’s ongoing case at the Supreme Court to ban private drug makers from making and selling oxytocin.
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Oxytocin is a crucial drug used in childbirth.
More about the news
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The Health Ministry in April 2018 notified a ban on private firms from manufacturing and selling oxytocin.
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The used to prevent new mothers from excessively bleeding after giving birth.
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The government wants to restrict the responsibility of supplying the drug to a PSU to avoid its misuse in the veterinary field.
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The Delhi High Court in December had quashed the ban on various grounds, including that it lacked scientific basis.
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The government has appealed the decision at the Supreme Court, which is expected to hear the matter.
Oxytocin:
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Oxytocin is naturally produced in the hypothalamus and is secreted into the bloodstream by the posterior pituitary gland.
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It plays a role in reproduction, child birth and lactation, apart from social interaction.
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Doctors use it to induce labour in pregnant women and to stem postpartum bleeding.
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It is also reported among trafficked children, as oxytocin is injected to accelerate puberty among the girls.
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It is also being misused to speed-up the deliveries for pregnant women in over-crowded Govt. hospitals
Source
Indian Express.