Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Friday, Nov 07, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version | Audio | Blogs
Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Friday, Nov 07, 2008 ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version | Audio | Blogs |
|
|
|
|
|
Industry & Economy
-
Pharmaceuticals States - Andhra Pradesh ‘Vitamin C not an essential drug’ K.V. Kurmanath
Hyderabad, Nov. 6 Vitamin C, which is in severe shortage in the country, is not the most essential drug. But it is a very valuable one for those who are critically ill, afflicted with HIV, in the post-operative care and some infectious diseases. The vitamin, which plays an important role in quick healing of wounds, is abundant in natural sources such as amla, citrus fruits, papaya and cauliflower. In fact, proper diet would take care of the demand for the vitamin. “It is of no consequence if you take proper diet. But the shortage of the vitamin means a lot for certain category of patients,” Dr B. Ravindar Reddy, Consultant Surgical Gastroenterologist, at Care group of hospitals, told Business Line. “It is estimated that 5 per cent of all our population needs vitamin C supplements. For one, those afflicted with HIV need about 1.5-3 grams a day. Critically ill patients need up to 1 gm a day,” he said. The medical community, however, is sharply divided on the issue. There is an argument that non-availability is of no consequence in most cases. “It is not a highly essential drug. It is just an add-on. In cases where it is used as anti-oxidants, it could be easily substituted by other anti-oxidants such as vitamin A and E,” Mr Aftab Ahmed, a general physician with Apollo Group of Hospitals, said. “It is okay if it (vitamin C) is there. If it is not there, it is also okay if it is not there,” he added. More Stories on : Pharmaceuticals | Health | Andhra Pradesh
Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page
|
|
The Hindu Group: Home | About Us | Copyright | Archives | Contacts | Subscription Group Sites: The Hindu | The Hindu ePaper | Business Line | Business Line ePaper | Sportstar | Frontline | The Hindu eBooks | The Hindu Images | Home |
Copyright © 2008, The
Hindu Business Line. Republication or redissemination of the contents of
this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of
The Hindu Business Line
|
