Crucial medical equipment supply hit
Doctors cannot attend to Covid-19 patients without wearing personal protection gear
Chemicals, raw materials for medicines, finished products like masks, sanitizers, gloves and medical devices are not being allowed to move from one state to another due to a total lockdown, complained manufactures to central government. These are essential products and required during a time of emergency like this but trucks are stopped at check points at interstate borders and not allowed to move.
Manufacturers from Monday onwards are following up with local administration and police in different states to allow for free movement of their vehicles, as masks, sanitisers, medical devices for respiratory distress are in high demand. Personal protection equipment (PPE) is also not there in major government hospitals in the country.
The demand has increased as number of patients coming for testing and treating has seen a rise. Doctors cannot attend to patients without wearing personal protection. PPE is required in drawing of samples for testing, treatment in emergency and isolation wards. It is a protection against transmission of virus.
Before lockdown, fake PPE products took over the market and certain hospitals, which had procured it, are now complaining that checks have not been in place.
Dr Sai Kumar Katam, president, Doctor of Pharmacy, explained, “due to a surge in demand, PPEs are manufactured without proper manufacturing license. Small and big hospitals stocked the product without checking varsity of the manufacturer. On realising that they were not certified, there is a hue and cry as to how spurious products have come to be sold. There are no quality checks done for fluid resistance, filtration efficiency, flammability and bio-compatibility. This is a major concern as medical staff is the first line of defence and they need to be well protected.” Due to this reason, some private hospitals have refused to see Covid-19 patients and very few have come forward who have a good stock of certified equipment. With emergency supplies and raw materials being stopped at interstate borders, the effects of lockdown will not be achieved if those who are sick are not provided medical help on time.
A senior doctor on condition of anonymity explained, “We need masks and sanitizers urgently. We have made sanitisers in the hospital but that is not sufficient. There has to be a supply to hospitals on priority basis. End-stage patients with pneumonia of unknown origin cannot be attended without PPE. To control situation from deteriorating further, it is important that supplies of these essentials are quick to all government hospitals as they are running out of stocks.”
The other hospital units which are not in infection control like psychiatry, orthopaedic, ENT and others have been asked to come on rotation basis as their patients are not to visit the hospitals until an emergency.
In districts of states the manufacturing units for medicines and medical devices are not allowed to function by local state officials and police.
Collectors are not willing to listen to pharmaceutical companies and demand that it must be shut down. Indian Medical Device Industry has appealed to all central and state agencies to co-operate with them as they play a crucial role of manufacturing in times of crisis and stopping them will only aggravate situation as they will not be able to supply on time.
Rajiv Nath, Forum Coordinator, Association of Indian Medical Device Industry explained, “Production schedules have been stopped since Monday. Local administration of states are not allowing workers to reach factories. The raw materials and various components have been stuck on the road at the inter-state borders. There is also a need for air courier service as some molecules have to be sent in temperatures which are below 10 degree C. We need these services to operate. The central government has been apprised of this situation and states must cooperate or we will be in short supply of treating medical devices and medicines.”
On top priority are gloves, disposables, electronic devices, instruments, IVD reagents for testing purposes. The reagents are to be sent to ensure that there is adequate testing and on time. Hospitals require these as they are already having problems due to shortage.
Mr Nath said, “Just like doctors, those in the supply chain also have to be supported so that the essential goods can reach hospitals on time to treat patients.”