Health authorities are better prepared to tackle the rise in swine flu cases this year, say Government representatives, in a contrast to previous years where Government had to stockpile Oseltamivir in a hurry to treat the increasing incidence of HINI infected people.

But treatment gaps remain on the ground, as chemists point to shortages in the suspension form of the medicine for children and industry representatives complain about the differing costs of diagnostic tests.

Just last month, in response to a query on swine flu cases reported out of Maharashtra and Gujarat, Health Minister JP Nadda had told the Rajya Sabha that supplies of anti-viral drug Oseltamivir tablets, suspension for children and protective equipment had been made available to States as required. In fact, to ensure wider availability of the anti-viral medicine, Oseltamivir was put under Schedule H1 (where it can be sold by all licensed chemists under prescription) from the earlier Schedule X (wherein only certain selected pharmacies were authorized to stock the medicine), he said, of the change made late-June.

The move has allowed more chemists to keep the anti-viral drug, but they have also been asked to keep records of the sale to prevent misuse of the medicine, GN Singh, Drug Controller General of India told Business Line. And no shortages had been reported from any state, he added.

Reports quoting Government estimates say that over 600 people have died from swine flu this year and 12,000 plus infected.

Shortages & price differences

But JS Shinde with the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists points out that there is a shortage of the paediatric suspension. Another Mumbai retailer adds that the shortage was possibly because companies were not interested in making the drug or doctors were prescribing it as a preventive. Swine flu is seasonal and the anti-viral drugs have a short shelf life, he says explaining why companies do not find it viable to make a medicine that has a brief expiry date.

Oseltamivir is globally sold under the brandname Tamiflu by Roche and Hetero is its only licensee in India. Oseltamivir supplies are adequate across the country, says Hetero Healthcare Managing Director Srinivas Reddy, adding however that the situation may be different in a Solapur or Guntur. But that again has more to do with gaps in the healthcare system, he added.

Hetero keeps an inventory for about 50,000 people, he said and they are equipped with bulk ingredients for another one lakh that can be converted into the finished drug in a week. Meanwhile Hetero and Roche said that they had not been contacted by Government for additional stocks.

On the increased incidence of death linked to swine flu, Reddy says, it could have resulted from late diagnosis. But Nilesh Shah, Group President Scientific Services and Operations with pathlab chain Metropolis Healthcare explains that only patients identified by a doctor to be tested for swine flu needed to be tested. The Government has come out lists of approved facilities that are equipped to test for swine flu and there is a price cap of Rs 4,500 in Maharashtra. However, he says, the Government needs to monitor that all patients with fever are not sent for these expensive tests and those being checked for swine flu are being covered within the price-cap.

At Metropolis, he says, people sent to take blood tests of patients at home are vaccinated. Shah urges the Government to come out with protocols to protect medical and para medical staff and curb the spread of the disease.

jyothi.datta@thehindu.co.in

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW