TB drugs shortage: Pune to get supply in 3-4 days

In Maharashtra, at least 20,000 new TB patients are detected every month and approximately 2 lakh strips of anti-TB drugs are required. The Central TB Division sends supply once in three months.

TB drugs Shortage, Tuberculosis, TB drugs supply, TB treatment drugs, TB cases in India, TB death ratio, Maharashtra TB patients, TB patients in India, public health experts, tuberculosis survivors, indian express news

“The Central TB Division, Government of India, will send partial supply in the next few days,” Dr Sandeep Sangle, Joint Director of Health (TB), told The Indian Express. (Representational Image)

There seems to be some respite from the shortage of TB drugs with the state health department being assured of supply within three to four days. “The Central TB Division, Government of India, will send partial supply in the next few days,” Dr Sandeep Sangle, Joint Director of Health (TB), told The Indian Express.

In Maharashtra, at least 20,000 new TB patients are detected every month and approximately 2 lakh strips of anti-TB drugs are required. The Central TB Division sends supply once in three months.

Apart from the state, the shortage was felt across the country and it was in March this year that several activists, public health experts, tuberculosis survivors and people living with HIV had in their letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought urgent intervention in the issue of shortage of drugs to treat TB.

Story continues below this ad

Also Read | BMC initiative | A vaccine trial to prevent TB: Adults to get BCG jab starting May

“As a country with the highest burden of TB in the world, we are deeply disturbed that India is experiencing stock outs of critically required drugs to treat people with TB,” the letter had said. The drugs in short supply were -4 (fixed dose combination) FDC-1st line DSTB-IP (Adult) Isoniazid, Refampicin, Pyrazinamide and Ethambutol, 3FDC-1st line DSTB-CP (Adult) Isoniazid, Rifampicin, and Ethambutol.

“The unavailability of required drugs for treatment had forced people to visit the centres multiple times, often skipping work and foregoing their wages, making them choose between their livelihood and treatment, thereby affecting their adherence to the treatment,” the letter to PM had further stated.

Dr Sangle said that presently they had packaged strips (36,000 strips of 3FDC drugs) and medicines in the loose form. Procurement of drugs from the Maharashtra Medical Goods and Procurement Authority is also in the final stages,Dr Sangle added.

Click here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories