Mumbai: Worries of impending med shortage sparks ahead of TB day

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With World Tuberculosis Day on March 24, tuberculosis survivors and activists are sounding the alarm about a possible shortage of medications. The concerns are sparked by an emergency procurement tender posted on the Central Medical Services Society website.

Notably, Mumbai's request in this tender is substantial, requiring 9,00,000 strips of 4-fixed-dose combination (FDC) medicine and 18,00,000 strips of 3-FDC medicines, each containing 28 tablets.

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Just a few months earlier, prolonged stockouts of drug-resistant tuberculosis medicines were reported in the city and across the country. The stockouts began in June-July in a couple of northern states, and an emergency procurement tender was rolled out around the same time last year.

"From there, it took only another couple of months for shortages to be reported from everywhere. Now we are getting reports of shortages in other states again," said Ganesh Acharya, a TB survivor.

These shortages lasted until about September. While the earlier stockout impacted a small percentage of patients in the city, another such stockout will likely hamper the treatment of a little over 63,000 tuberculosis patients in the city.

"It is not an acceptable situation as any discontinuation or disruptions in treatment impact health outcomes and can lead to further complications. Another issue is that most TB patients come from poor families and depend on government supplies," said another TB survivor, Brinelle D'Souza, Chairperson at TISS's Centre for Health and Mental Health.

Notably, India has a goal of eliminating TB by the year 2025. The medicines are purchased by the Central TB Division and are further supplied to states, who then distribute them to local bodies. "We have a good program and supply chain. It is very unusual that such stockouts have been happening frequently over the last couple of years," added Acharya.

When contacted, Dr Varsha Puri, the city's TB officer, said, "We have adequate stock for now, and in case there is a shortage, we have an arrangement to immediately purchase on quotation."

63,000

No. of patients potentially affected by another stockout

QUOTE

‘It is not an acceptable situation as any discontinuation or disruptions in treatment impact health outcomes and can lead to further complications. Another issue is that most TB patients come from poor families and depend on government supplies' Brinelle D'Souza, a TB survivor

STANDFIRST

Mumbai's request tender request is substantial, requiring 9,00,000 strips of 4-fixed-dose combination (FDC) medicine and 18,00,000 strips of 3-FDC medicines, each containing 28 tablets