TB Medicine Exports Banned, States Asked For Help Amid Shortage Worry

The COVID-19 lockdown has affected availability of labour, transport and materials.

Expressing concern over a shortage of tuberculosis medicines amid the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown, the Health Ministry called for a ban on exports and asked state governments to help pharmaceutical firms step up production.

"In view of the emergency measures undertaken, the availability of limited number of manpower and material to the pharmaceutical industry, the production capacity of the leading anti-TB drugs manufacturers of India has been affected," a Health Ministry memo date April 17 said.

"The TB drugs are essential for the treatment of TB patients under National TB Elimination Program (NTEP) and delay in production and receipt of supply may cause acute shortages of these drugs in the field. Such a situation will worsen the treatment of the TB patients within the country," it added.

Given the coronavirus crisis and the countrywide lockdown to curb its spread, leading manufacturers Macleods Pharmaceuticals and Lupin Limited have told the government that there is a shortage of materials, labour and transport.

State governments in Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and Daman and Diu, where the factories are located, have been asked to ensure that transportation services are available for the pharma companies and workers and materials are able to reach factories.

The Health Ministry also said that it was asking the Commerce Ministry to ban the export of anti-TB drugs so that the patients in India do not face any difficulties.

In one of the world's toughest lockdowns, people across India have been forbidden from stepping out of their homes except for food and medicines until May 3.

On Monday, the central government allowed some businesses and factories to open in rural India as part of a staggered exit from a weeks-long lockdown that has left crores out of work and short of food.

The relaxations will help small, medium and large firms in sectors such as chemicals, engineering, textiles, plastics, packaging and automobiles.