Infant and Young Child Nutrition:

Pursuing gross violations of the Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding Bottles and Infant Foods Act,1992 in the following cases:

  • Johnson and Johnson for advertising their feeding bottles in 1993
  • Johnson and Johnson for offering one bottle free for every dozen of feeding bottles sold by the retailers in 1993
  • Johnson and Johnson for having offered 5% discount on all their products, which included a feeding bottle in a leading departmental stores in Mumbai- 1993
  • Johnson and Johnson, Lintas, the advertising agency and Shoppers Stop have all tendered a written apology for it. Johnson and Johnson decided to stop manufacture of feeding bottles in India since June 1996.
  • Nestle for violating the labelling requirements - 1993. While Nestle has modified its labels as Mother’s milk is best for the baby and to start complementary foods after six months of age, the case is still going on in the Supreme Court.
  • Wockhardt for using the brand name Dexolac for all its baby's health products including infant milk substitutes, and infant foods. The company has tendered a written apology for the same and agreed to discontinue use of the brand name Dexolac for products other than infant milk substitutes and feeding bottles- 1994.
  • Preventing sponsorship of a Scientific programme by Nestle on 13th October 1996 at Jaslok hospital.
  • Babuline Pharma pvt, Ltd for advertising Babuline gripe water and displaying a feeding bottle on Alfa cable channel- November 2000
  • Aarey for promoting its milk with a feeding bottle –March 2001
  • Star India Ltd for showing a feeding bottle in the advertisement to promote Kaun Banega Crorepati- May 2001.
  • Eventus Management Pvt. Ltd for using the picture of a feeding bottle in their promotional campaign for ‘Bouncing Babies Mumbai December 2001.
  • Raptakos Brett and Company Ltd for offering free sample of Lactodex Starter Formula to Doctors in June 2002
  • Wockhardt Limited for offering free tin of Dexolac Special Formula to doctors and healthworkers.
  • Mahananda Dairy for depicting a mother feeding her baby with a feeding bottle in their advertisement to promote Mahananda Cow’s milk which was issued in ‘Dainik Lokmat’ a marathi daily-October 2002.

Drugs and Pharmaceuticals:

acash along with the All India Drug Action Network (AIDAN) was successful in its campaign to boycott companies manufacturing harmful combination drugs eg; Chloramphenicol and Streptomycin.

acash brought to the attention of the High Court about indiscriminate promotion of high dose Oestrogen-Progestron combination. acash was successful in getting a stay order passedon the sale of injectable of high dose E.P. combination. The court instructed the Central Government to ban the drug. Initially the tablets were banned followed by the injections on future litigation and intervention by acash.

acash highlighted the fraud perpetrated by Apollo Hospital, Hyderabad by claiming to cure Retinitis Pigmentosa-1993.

The apparent punitive transfer of FDA Commissioner who ordered closure of Glaxo India Ltd for 10 days for non-disposal of sub-standard drugs was challenged by acash in the High Court in 1993.

On the order passed by the court, the company admitted to its mistake and closed the company for the demanded period of ten days.

Legal Cell:

The legal cell set up by acash is the only one of its kind in India. It has provided a ray of hope to the consumers of health services. The cell has helped acash to address and process complaints of medical negligence under the Consumer Protection Act. Our experience shows that the number of people approaching acash has increased four fold. acash receives cases from all over India. So far acash has processed about 350 cases. Medical negligence has been proved in 79 cases related to surgery, orthopaedics, gynaecology, opthalmology among others. A few of the cases have been settled mutually between the doctors and the patients as an out of court settlement.

Bombay Nursing Homes Regulation Act:

acash was invited by the Directorate General of Health Services, Maharashtra to discuss and deliberate on enforcement of the Clinical Establishment Act. acash had offered certain recommendations to the Act. acash has been included to be a part of the sub-committee to review the definitions and clauses in the proposed Act.

In August 2002, a meeting was again called to review the definitions and clauses of the Act. The sub-committee has offered comprehensive suggestions to the definitions and clauses of the Act. The Government has agreed to include consumer organisations while constituting a ‘Competent Authority’ and an ‘Apex Body’ under the proposed Act.

Tobacco Control :

Constant lobbying by acash with the Government has led to the passing of The Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Prevention of advertisement and regulation of trade and commerce, production supply and distribution )Act, 2003.

Public Interest Litigation against Gutkha:

The PIL filed by acash in the larger interest of public health and safety praying for directions/orders to the Union Government to completely ban the production, manufacture, distribution, sale, storage and import of Gutkha and Panmasala has been admitted in the Bombay High Court on 7th January,2004 . In the PIL , acash as an alternative has sought directions and orders to prevent all forms of advertising, promotion and publicity of these harmful products. The petition also seeks to include the warning against Gutkha in the labelling requirements as defined in the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954.

Advocating for other Public health and safety issues:

acash filed a petition to bring to light the bad maintainence of post-mortem rooms and wrong disposal of dead bodies thereof. The committee appointed by the High Court has made recommendation regarding improvement of post-mortem rooms. The Government has given a one year period to implement the recommendations put forth by the committee.

A study conducted among traffic policemen by the Indian Institution of Sciences prompted acash to file a writ petition in 1999 in the High Court demanding protection and regular monitoring the health of the traffic policemen and regulation of the pollution levels in the city. This has triggered off the landmark judgement insisting on strict PUC certification of the city cabs.

In order to improve the quality of Eye banking in the country, acash filed a petition in the High Court demanding registration of eye banks based on appropriate rules and regulations. Responding to this the Court has directed the State Government to request the concerned central ministry to frame these rules.