SC sets 9-month deadline for govt to roll out new TB drug regimen

OBSERVING THAT it will be “grossly criminal” to continue administering medicines under an “unsafe” regimen to tuberculosis (TB) patients in the country, the Supreme Court Monday set a deadline of nine months for the Union government to switch to the daily dosage regimen.

A bench led by Chief Justice of India J S Khehar said that the Centre’sargumenttoletitfirstexhaust the old stock did not cut ice and such medicines should be thrown away if they caused loss of lives.

“It will be grossly criminal to administer the same medicines to the patients if they have been killing people because of a lot of relapse of the disease. We are not ready to accept the argument that you should be allowed to first exhaust the old stock,” said the court.

The court, however, acknowledged Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh’s statement that the government had itself decided to shift the regimen from three-times-a-week to daily dosage but it would take some time to procure new medicines.

The ASG said that till the time adequate stock is made available, the plan to give daily dose to patients will have to be implemented in a phase-wise manner.

“We have already started the new regimen in five states and by mid-2018, we will cover the entire country... let the old patients continue under the intermittent dose,” argued Singh.

At this, the bench sought a response from the PIL petitioner, Haryana-based Dr Raman Kakar, who said that the government might be given time to procure new medicines but all new patients should now be put under the daily dose programme.

“As far as possible, new patients shall be administered treatment under the daily dosage regimen,” held the court.