Environment Ministry has recommended ban on multi-dose vial of Diclofenac to save vultures. It has requested Health Ministry to restrict the pack of Diclofenac for human use in single dose only. In a release, the Ministry said, the commonly used anti-inflammatory drug for cattle is considered the main cause for the steep decline in the population of vultures in recent years. The drug is harmless to the cattle, but fatal for the vultures, which routinely feed on the carcass of dead cattle.
Studies have shown that the drug causes kidney and liver failure in vultures. Even after banning the use of Diclofenac for veterinary use, the multi-dose vials available in the market for human use were widely misused for veterinary purpose. This, in turn, has a severe impact on the population of vultures. Earlier, in 2006, the Government of India had imposed a ban on the use of Diclofenac for treating cattle.