Tamil Nadu looks at local purchases to tide over nationwide TB drug stockouts

In the light of nationwide stockouts of tuberculosis (TB) drugs, Tamil Nadu is working out ways to tide over the situation through local purchase of drugs.

The Government of India’s communication to the State to manage locally for the next three months came in last week, putting the Health Department in a tight spot, official sources said.

Communication

Officials in the Health Department said they received a communication from GoI asking the State to manage locally for the next three months as there were delays in the procurement process. “We currently have stock of drugs for nearly 10 days, and have written to the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Cor

The stock of drugs will last only 10 days, says an official of the Health Department. poration (TNMSC) regarding procurement of drugs. The TNMSC has procedures to follow, including rate contracts. We can manage the situation for a month or two if supply is delayed,” an official said.

The TNMSC, on its part, would be able to take up procurement activities, including floating tenders, only after receiving clearance from the Election Commission of India as the Model Code of Conduct was in force, sources said.

Health officials, while pointing out that supply of TB drugs was done by the Central government, said the TNMSC would be able to do planned procurement of TB drugs permanently for the State in the future if the Central government and State TB Cell arrived at a decision.

Concerns have been raised over such frequent disruptions in the supply chain and subsequent impact on patient care. Some drugs prescribed for both drugsensitive TB and resistant TB are facing short supplies.

Instead of quarterly indents of drugs, monthly indents were being done now, and in some places, 10day supply of drugs were provided, an official source said, adding: “If we were informed much earlier, we could have acted accordingly. The situation is dicey due to the lastminute communication.”

No supply from Centre

“With no supply from the Central government, permission was granted for districts to make local purchases, including from pharmacies, and funds for procurement were granted. The shortages developed gradually in both the first line and second line of drugs. What is of concern is that drugs are not available even in the market in some places, and if the delays in supply extends for another two to three months, patient care services may get affected,” an official noted.

Purchase of drugs from the open market also took time, another official added.

The Thamizhaga Cauvery Vivasayigal Sangam has urged the State government to firm up its stand on the Mekedatu issue.

Addressing the press at Mannargudi on April 3, association general secretary P .R. Pandian pointed out that the decision to forward the Mekedatu dam construction proposal to the Central government was arrived at by the Authority at its 28th meeting following suggestions from Central representatives in the Authority and with the support of the Kerala government.

The presence of Tamil Nadu representatives, though they had registered their protest at the meeting, had created a situation in which the resolution to forward the Mekedatu proposal to the Central government was not objected. Had they walked out of the meeting such an impression could not have emerged.

Resolution demand

Stating that the pleas of Delta farmers to pass a resolution in the Assembly against CWMA’s move and forward the same to the Authority and the Central government had not elicited any response from the State government, Mr. Pandian urged the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister to firm up the State’s stand on the issue by insisting that CWMA drop the proposal in writing at the 29th CWMA meeting scheduled to take place in New Delhi.

He also drew the attention of the Chief Minister towards the problem of availing power supply for irrigation in certain pockets of delta districts particularly in Orathanadu, Needamangalam and Peraiyur areas.