28 April,2010 09:45 AM IST | | Vivek Sabnis
Medicos, activists question state's wisdom in purchasing lakhs of strips of costly drug that may now go waste as H1N1 is in retreat
Even as swine flu seems to be on the retreat, controversies are surfacing and allegations over its handling by authorities flying thick and fast. Now, the purchase of nearly 12 lakh strips of Tamiflu for the city is being questioned by the medical fraternity and activists.
3 lakh strips remain
According to data obtained from the swine flu control room, of the 12 lakh strips of tablets procured in 2008 more than three lakh strips of the drug still remain in government godowns.
Doctors and activists are alleging that purchase of such a large quantity of Tamiflu, worth around Rs 25 crore, was not required and that it was done by "overenthusiastic" government officials.
"Instead of bulk purchase, the drug should have been bought in steps. Officials got carried away by the hype, but now that the cases have gone down and so has the use of the drug, so much stock isn't required," said Dr Dilip Sarda, former president of the Indian Medical Association. "Isn't it a waste of taxpayer money if they are unable to use the drug in the next two years?"
Flawed distribution
Paediatrician Dr Jayant Navrange, who has treated swine flu patients and prescribed Tamiflu in the course of it, said flawed distribution at the beginning of the epidemic led to the piling up of such a large stock of the drug.
"When patients needed it, they didn't have proper distribution techniques. Though estimates can go wrong and they made an error in calculating the need for the tablets, still it has to be said that purchases should have been made judiciously," said Navrange.
Data on swine flu obtained from health circles showed the number of positive cases and requirement for Tamiflu tablets had dropped sharply over the past few months. Compared to 14,107 tablets given to patients in January 2010, only 4,962 tablets have been given so far in April.
Sarda said, "Lakhs of tablet strips may go waste. Each costs around Rs 800; imagine the monetary loss!"
Suryakant Pathak, executive president, Grahak Panchayat, Pune, said the purchase of Tamiflu tablets was an "irrational and illogical" decision.
MNC benefited
"It was ultimately beneficial to the multinational company who sold these tablets and public money was wasted," Pathaku00a0 said.
But sources from the State Health Services reacted sharply to the criticism. "We tried our best to get enough Tamiflu stock from Rosh company via the Centre. How can one predict the exact gravity of swine flu, which had erupted for the first time in Pune?" said an official on condition of anonymity. "We did not waste any time in getting Tamiflu and promptly provided it to patients."
