'EDCL to be largest medicine manufacturer in South Asia'

State-owned Essential Drugs Company Ltd (EDCL) is going to be the largest medicine manufacturing company in the South Asia through launching its third plant.

Health Minister Mohammed Nasim recently said the pharmaceutical manufacturer will launch its third plant in Gopalganj in the last week of September, reports BSS on Saturday.

" The 3rd plant of EDCL has been completed. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to formally inaugurate the plant at the birth place of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman," the minister said.

Government hospitals, health centres and community clinics are distributing medicines free of cost across the country and EDCL is supplying at least 72 per cent drugs, Nasim said.

“The government would be able to provide 100 per cent of medicine free of cost after launching of the factory,” the minister added.

EDCL Managing Director Professor Dr Ehsanul Kabir said this drug company will be the largest medicine manufacturing company in the South Asia after completion of 3rd plant.

"The construction work of 3rd Plant project of EDCL began in March of 2015 at a cost of Taka 6 billion on 10 acres of land. It will also create job opportunity for 800 people," he said.

According to BSS, the plant would produce birth control pills and injections, IV fluid, Penicillin and Iron tablet.

Annually the plant would produce 3,300m birth control injections, 3200m pills, 181m penicillin tablets, 217m penicillin capsules and 12 different anti-biotic medicines, sources said.

Among four units of the project, the penicillin unit would start its production on trial basis from next month and full phase production of the plants would start from December next, they added.