CHENNAI: While several state governments fear shortage of life-saving and essential drugs after the outbreak of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) in China, government hospitals in the state say they have adequate stock of most drugs, both at hospitals and warehouses.
The Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation (TNMSC) had revised its protocol to ensure supply of drugs doesn’t dwindle after January, when China closed down for their new year celebrations. During this time a year ago, state-run hospitals in Tamil Nadu faced an acute shortage of essential drugs used to treat bacterial infections, diabetes and renal diseases. This was because several Indian drug manufacturers could not import the active pharmaceutical ingredient from China during the Chinese New Year holidays.
In October 2019, TNMSC made plans to stock adequate drugs. “We have stocks of most medicines to last till June,” said TNMSC managing director P Umanath. “We have ordered for more stock. It’s expected soon and will last us for a few more months after June,” he said. TNMSC officials said the agency could blacklist the company if it does not supply drugs on time.
In early 2019, when TNMSC issued bids for drugs, there were no bidders for at least a dozen drugs. “Many of these were inexpensive but essential drugs. We had to call for tenders again to get the drugs,” he said. This was because many states order for generic drugs around the same time and the cost at which Tamil Nadu buys them is lower compared to many other states.
Drug manufacturers in the state say there is no short supply though the price of some pharmaceutical ingredients has gone up. “The prices go up around this time every year,” said J Jayaseelan, chairman, Indian Drug Manufacturers Association (Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Pondicherry). “But they settle down by April. We feared that the lockdown due to the virus may bring down the supply and increase prices. But that hasn’t happened yet, and it won’t be fair to block exports assuming there will be a crisis.”
The Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation (TNMSC) had revised its protocol to ensure supply of drugs doesn’t dwindle after January, when China closed down for their new year celebrations. During this time a year ago, state-run hospitals in Tamil Nadu faced an acute shortage of essential drugs used to treat bacterial infections, diabetes and renal diseases. This was because several Indian drug manufacturers could not import the active pharmaceutical ingredient from China during the Chinese New Year holidays.
In October 2019, TNMSC made plans to stock adequate drugs. “We have stocks of most medicines to last till June,” said TNMSC managing director P Umanath. “We have ordered for more stock. It’s expected soon and will last us for a few more months after June,” he said. TNMSC officials said the agency could blacklist the company if it does not supply drugs on time.
In early 2019, when TNMSC issued bids for drugs, there were no bidders for at least a dozen drugs. “Many of these were inexpensive but essential drugs. We had to call for tenders again to get the drugs,” he said. This was because many states order for generic drugs around the same time and the cost at which Tamil Nadu buys them is lower compared to many other states.
Drug manufacturers in the state say there is no short supply though the price of some pharmaceutical ingredients has gone up. “The prices go up around this time every year,” said J Jayaseelan, chairman, Indian Drug Manufacturers Association (Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Pondicherry). “But they settle down by April. We feared that the lockdown due to the virus may bring down the supply and increase prices. But that hasn’t happened yet, and it won’t be fair to block exports assuming there will be a crisis.”
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