BENGALURU: While the government is focused on shortage of Covid vaccines, Remedivisir and oxygen, doctors at private hospitals are warning of fast depleting stocks of antibiotics, IV drip sets, cannulas and non-breathable respiratory masks which are essential for any treatment.
Dr Jagadish J Hiremath, Medical Director, Ace Suhas Hospital, said, “Someone in government needs to take stock of the situation. Syringe costs have already gone through the roof and 10 ml syringes are not available for the last three days. Even examination gloves, injectable paracetamols and IV antibiotics are on premium.”
Keshav Kumar, owner of Medinova Pharmaceuticals who supplies to nearly 25-30 hospitals around Bengaluru South, Jigani, Electronics City and surrounding areas, said the present stock in the market can only last for 10 days in Bengaluru. “It is from here that the supplies go to other districts, but there is a major shortage. If we demand a thousand of any of these, we get 20 to 30 per cent,” he said.
Among the list are IV fluids -- nasal saline 100 ml, 500 ml; basic antibiotics ceftriaxone and its combinations, piperacillin tazobactam; NBR masks and twin bore cannulas which are essential for oxygen machines. Prasanna HM, president, Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes’ Association, said, “There is a shortage of NRBM masks and nitrile gloves, but I have not heard of IV cannulas and doxycycline being in short supply.”
The distributors attribute it to the lockdown and sudden explosion in demand in the second wave. Also, most manufacturing companies are in North India and they have been facing issues like staff testing Covid-positive, lack of transportation etc. Rajiv Nath, Managing Director, Hindustan Syringes & Medical Devices, and Forum Coordinator of Association of Indian Medical Device Industry, said lockdown in states and employees’ illness have created supply chain issues. Distributors and dealers too are unable to sell the stocks even if it is available with them, he added.
“We have been requesting the government to treat employees of medical devices manufacturers, ancillaries and distribution networks the same as frontline workers. The Union Health Ministry and State Governments should consider their priorities if they don’t want shortages. My own company has 400 people less than maximum strength of 3,200,” he said.
Industry experts said the cost of plastics supplied by Reliance and used in medical devices has gone up by 40% and the product used for packaging has gone up by 20%. Many manufacturers are still negotiating prices, which has led to the problem, an expert said.