The ongoing shortage of ISM medicines in the state hospitals and in special wings of Primary Health Centres across Tamil Nadu will be tackled within a few months from now through proper supplies and measures are being taken to bring an end to the crisis.

Plans are on to provide ISM drugs in the state in case of a serious shortage of any essential drugs, said, M Chandrasekaran, director of ISM Tamil Nadu.

In an interview with Pharmabiz, the new director said he has visited most of the hospitals and PHCs in the state not only to check the drugs availability, but to know about the current position and status of infrastructure facilities there. He said he has many reforms in mind for the future of the directorate and to make it into a modern centre of Indian medicines.

According to him the shortage of raw materials is the main cause that delay the preparation of medicines, and steps have already been taken to address it. Preference will be given to sort out and solve the local issues including lack of doctors and other staff.

He said that the shortage of doctors do not normally affect the services of the hospitals or ISM wings in PHCs. “Now the situation has started improving, the availability of medicines and the services of doctors are there in all the institutions. Further improvements will be carried out soon”, Chandrasekaran said.

Regarding manufacturers’ problems, the director said “we will not delay anything from our end. But we have to comply with the rules and regulations of Ayush department”. When asked about the delay in issuing product endorsements and new licenses, he said he will look into the matter soon and make everything transparent as early as possible.

The shortage of Indian system of medicines in Tamil Nadu has become acute for the health department and the principal secretary of the state himself had to interfere in the matter. Slowly the government has taken some initiatives to supply some of the essential drugs to some major hospitals.

Large quantities of Siddha, Ayurveda and Unani medicines to the Ayush hospitals are supplied by the government owned company, Tamil Nadu Medicinal Plant Farms and Herbal Medicine Corporation Limited, (Tampcol), but it does not seem to have a sound plan for production and supply. It has the licence to produce 62 Siddha drugs, 14 Ayurveda drugs and 7 Unani medicines. Apart from Ayurveda and Siddha medicines, only one Unani medicine, ‘Laboob-e-sagheer’, (Viagra) is manufactured and marketed by Tampcol currently. Demand for this product is coming from countries like US, UK, Canada, Singapore, Spain, China, Germany, Italy and from all the gulf countries to the Tampcol office in Annanagar. Since the demand for the product exceeds the supply, the company is now vigorously concentrating on manufacturing it at its plant at Alathur.

Earlier, there was allegation that improper and irregular supply of medicines by Tampcol was the main cause for the worsening situation of the government Siddha hospitals in the state. Patients with chronic ailments such as arthritis, skin diseases, psoriasis, eczema, leucoderma, and those suffering from viral fever were the mostly affected by the shortage. Even now, Tampcol is able to supply less than fifty items of medicines.