Vendors sell tobacco products in front of the GMCH gate. Picture by UB Photos

May 7: Law prohibits sale of tobacco products inside and within the immediate vicinity of public buildings, including hospitals, but vendors of such products are found in plenty right outside the GMCH and other hospitals.

Several vendors, parked on either side of the gate, sell tobacco products like cigarettes, bidis, gutka and paan masala.

While the state government has, over the past few years, laid great emphasis on transforming the GMCH into a premier health institution, the sale of these tobacco products just outside the medical college also reflects the failure on the part of the district administration as well as the hospital authorities to effectively implement this law.

These street side vendors, too, do not appear to have any fear of the law, primarily because they are always on the move and set up stalls wherever they find it convenient.

However, the authorities of the GMCH have said they had brought the matter to the notice of the district administration as well as police several times, but with little result.

“We are aware of street-side vendors selling tobacco products just outside the gate of the hospital. We have submitted written complaints to the deputy commissioner to take steps to remove unauthorised stalls selling tobacco products or penalised vendors selling such products near the hospital. Complaints have also even been forwarded by the hospital administration to Bhangagarh police station. A few vendors were also caught selling tobacco products on the hospital premises. They were reprimanded by the hospital authorities,” said a senior official of the GMCH.

“These vendors keep coming back because they have steady buyers. It is also very difficult to catch them as they keep moving from one place to another and set up stalls wherever it is feasible. Sale of such products near a hospital is particularly dangerous as a patient already addicted to tobacco, might be tempted to consume them,” said the official.

The Section (4) of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003, prohibits smoking and use of tobacco products in public places that covers offices, hospitals and educational institutions.

Sources at the Kamrup (metro) administration said the authorities were aware of the sale of tobacco products near private and government hospitals in the city.

“At present, we are concentrating on prohibiting sale of tobacco products within a 100 yards of any educational institution here and taking action against those violating this law. Very soon we plan to take strict action against those selling such products near hospitals,” Kamrup (metro) deputy commissioner Ashutosh Agnihotri said.