Mumbai has only 6 weeks’ supply of MDR-TB

The city's anti-tuberculosis (TB) clinics have only six weeks supply of injectable medicines such as canamicin for the treatment of multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB).

Here is some worrying news.

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The city's anti-tuberculosis (TB) clinics have only six weeks supply of injectable medicines such as canamicin for the treatment of multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB).

“We have a system where one box of medicines is allocated to a patient for the entire period of treatment.

Because of the shortage, we are using the same box for multiple patients at different stages of treatment,” said Manisha Mhaiskar, additional municipal commissioner, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

She added that they had written to the state health department for more drugs.

Doctors said the shortage would add to the increasing incidence of drug resistance TB in the country.

On Wednesday, civil societies submitted a petition to the prime minister office in Delhi stating: “The stock-out is not because of a lack of funds, but is related to the never-ending drug procurement issues plaguing India’s public health programmes.”

Blessina Kumar, TB activist and patient advocate, said, “It is worrying that the government has asked doctors to use the adult anti-TB doses for children by breaking the medicines into two.”

India is the only country that follows an alternate-day regimen for TB medicines instead of a daily regimen.

This difference, say World Health Organization (WHO) officials, is a major challenge for drug procurement in India.

“Only a few manufacturers produce the particular regimen used by India's programme,” said Dr Nata Menabde, WHO representative to India, in a statement.