In a strong message against drug hoarders and black marketers, the health ministry on Wednesday asked the state governments to crack down on chemists and pharmacists hoarding and black-marketing swine flu drug Oseltamivir and masks used as protection against the disease.
Retail sale of the drug Tamiflu is not allowed under the present law and ?over the counter sale? of the drug is illegal.
In a meeting with the state drug controller generals, the health ministry has asked them to zero down on chemists selling Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) tablets at higher prices.
?Based on media reports, government authorities have also carried out raids at certain places,? said health ministry?s joint secretary Vineet Chawdhry. He added that shortages of the masks will not be tolerated. In a meetings with Tamiflu manufacturers?like Ranbaxy, Cipla and Hetero Drugs?the government discussed the issue of procurement of 2 crore more Oseltamivir tablets.?We already have 7.2 million tablets in banking arrangements with them. Now we have sought 1.2 crore additional tablets,? he added. Chawdhry said that the government has already worked out a delivery schedule for all the drug manufacturers. The stockpile of Tamiflu tablets, currently at 2 crore, is likely to be increased to 3 crore tablets soon, a health ministry official said.
On allowing private labs to test for swine flu, health ministry officials said that Centre has already issued the required guidelines on the matter. A central team is stationed in Maharashtra to assist the state government in instituting appropriate public health measures.
The pandemic has claimed 17 lives till Wednesday (6 of them today -5 in Pune and 1 in Nashik). 5,729 persons have been tested so far out of which 1,193 are positive for Influenza A H1N1 [Swine]. 666 out of the 5,729 persons have been identified through entry screening, 1,086 through contact tracing and the rest were self reported. Of the 1,193 positive cases, 589 have been discharged.