AIIMS plans national registry to track poisoning cases

NewsIndia NewsAIIMS plans national registry to track poisoning cases NEW DELHI: AIIMS New Delhi is planning a national system to track poisoning cases across the country, with a proposed National Poisoning Registry that would collect reports of poisoning cases and digitally link poison-control units for real-time reporting.The proposal envisages transforming the National Poisons Information Centre (NPIC) from a 24x7 telephone advisory service into a national nodal network for toxicology, with satellite units connected digitally to the AIIMS centre.Under the proposed system, poisoning cases reported by participating centres could feed into a central database to track emerging trends and improve preparedness.

The plan also includes a national antidote bank, analytical testing facility, research and development, real-time reporting software and AI-assisted diagnostic support.Established at AIIMS in 1995, NPIC was India’s first centre of its kind.

From a telephone service guiding doctors on emergency poison management, it has grown into a 24x7 toxicology resource receiving calls nationwide. It received over 65,000 calls between 1995 and 2025, involving household products, pesticides, drug overdoses and snake bites.NPIC data show a wide range of exposures, including drugs, agricultural and industrial chemicals, plants, household products and stings and bites.

Snake bites were the largest component of sting-and-bite calls in both 2010–19 and 2020–25.The proposed expansion is aimed at moving beyond individual emergency calls to create a broader national picture of poisoning patterns.

AIIMS has proposed digitally linking the nodal centre with satellite units, along with analytical testing and a national antidote bank, to strengthen the response to poisoning emergencies.Join conversation InsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig Development The proposal also seeks wider poison-awareness and capacity-building programmes for children, teachers, parents and occupational workers, along with a National Outreach and Awareness Programme and a dedicated National Poison Awareness Day.

As part of the expansion, AIIMS has proposed renaming NPIC as the National Nodal Centre for Toxicological Sciences & Research (NNCTSR).Prof D.S. Arya, Head, Department of Pharmacology and Chief, NPIC, AIIMS, New Delhi, and the team led by Dr Swati Sharma, Senior Scientist and Nodal Officer, NPIC Expansion Programme, Department of Pharmacology, AIIMS, New Delhi.

Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app. Anuja Jaiswal is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Times of India, with an impressive 18-year career in narrative journalism. She specializes in health and heritage reporting, expertly simplifying complex health information to make it engaging and understandable for readers.

Her deep dives into heritage topics are well-researched, resulting in captivating narratives that resonate with her audience. Over the years, she has worked in Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh and West UP, gaining diverse on-ground experience that shapes her storytelling.

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