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Karnataka is now facing an acute shortage of drugs for tuberculosis. The state has been facing frequent interruption in the supply of anti-TB drugs to the state since 2021. This is because of the rising number of patients.
While 2021 accounted for 58.86% of notified cases, which increased to 80.4% in 2022 with a mortality rate of 6% in 2021 & 2022, the state is sees an urgent need to refill its supplies. This is because treatment discontinuation could be lead to a bigger crisis.
In this regard, health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao has written to Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya seeking urgent supply of anti-TB drugs.
There has been frequent interruption and two recent communications from the Government of India require the state to procure DSTB (Drug-Sensitive Tuberculosis) patient drugs for the next three months, he added.
The second communication came after the model code of conduct (MCC) issued by the Election Commission had come into effect, for the ensuing general elections.
Stressing that the state notifies more than 80,000 patients annually and around 6,800 TB patients on a monthly basis, Minister Rao said they have to be provided continuous treatment. In view of this, the state has intensified its efforts to procure anti-TB drugs both at the state level and district level.
A letter from the National Health Mission director had also been sent regarding permission for utilising the approved ROP (Record of Proceedings) of 2024-25 to procure these medications. In the interest of the public, the Karnataka heath department has requested the Finance department of the state to provide additional funds for procuring the drugs. "However, it has been learnt that neither these medications are available in the quantities required by nor the procurement process can be hastened in view of both its manufacturing process as well as the prevailing MCC," Rao pointed out.
With this, the state’s support for the TB patients has been jeopardised by this action of the Union government. "Both the delayed communication to procure a critical drug whose procurement is problematic in the short run and also issuing the communication during model code of conduct have adversely affected the efforts of the state government in this regard," Rao said in his communication to the Union government.
"Under the circumstances, the Union government has an obligation to respond immediately and support the state government to keep up the supply of critical drugs of the TB patients at a required level," he added.
“We urge the Union health minister to instruct the officials concerned to supply the first-line anti-TB drugs on an urgent basis to Karnataka. We hope the Union government recognises the adverse effects of its decision and adopts a course correction immediately, to avoid thousands of TB patients throughout Karnataka’s 31 districts being put to uncalled hardship and leading to higher pain and fatality,” stated Rao.
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