Cold storage rooms inaugurated:

25 July: The director Dr Dawa inaugurated cold storage rooms of the pharmaceutical department yesterday at 4:30 p.m. Present during the inaugural hour were the director of the pharmaceutical department Dr Ngawang Khyentse, deputy director Dr Jamyang Tashi, the quality control analyst Mr. Tenzin Jigme and the technicians who built the cold storage system.

Two separate storage units were built adjacent to one another. The technicians say the rooms will maintain temperatures between +2 to +4 degree Celsius respectively. Men-Tsee-Khang just recently initiated work on the storage of raw materials that is reported to be the “foremost task in quality assurance and retention of medicinal potencies”, said Mr. Tenzin Jigme. “The projected temperatures fall within the proposed temperature mentioned by the WHO to help retain potencies of herbal raw materials”, added Mr. Jigme.

It is scientifically approved that this kind of system will help store raw materials devoid of moisture, bacteria and fungal growth that too without having to use dehumidifier that the institute currently uses.

Another project in the pipeline at the pharmaceutical department is the installation of ‘Solar Dryer’. With this system in use Men-Tsee-Khang envisions safer production of medicinal pills especially during the long rainy season of Dharamsala. This system will speed up the drying process and eventually leave no chance for fungal and moisture growth in the medicines. It is reported that the hot air generated by the solar energy will range from 35 to 40 degree Celsius, which is equivalent to the actual sunlight without ultraviolet rays. The outstanding thing is that the solar dryer works even on low daylight and if required can be run on backups as well.

Men-Tsee-Khang also proposed to work on moister tandardization of medicines so that temperature can be set according to the requirement of individual medicine.