The Siddha and Ayurveda dispensaries attached to the ESI hospitals in Tamil Nadu are facing a stock-out of medicines for all kinds of diseases owing to the cessation of supply by the Tamil Nadu Medical Plant Farms & Herbal Medicine Corporation Limited (Tampcol), the nodal agency assigned for drugs supply.

The stock-out has been on for six months now. There are total 32 ISM dispensaries attached to ESI hospitals in the state, sources informed.

Tampcol, which is intended for ceaseless supply of medicines to the Ayush hospitals, could not procure the medicines from approved manufacturers before March 31, 2015, due to non-availability of funds, it has informed the director of medical and rural health services of ESIC.

Director of medical services (DMS) for ESIC in Tamil Nadu has given circulars to the medical officers at the hospitals to procure the required quantity of medicines from local market. According to hospital authorities, they gave the intent of medicinal requirements for each hospital on 5.11.2014 at the Drug Purchase Committee Meeting for ISM, but Tampcol could not supply the medicines till date, sources informed.

Tampcol is the nodal agency to procure medicines from approved manufacturers and supply to the hospitals/dispensaries. The corporation also undertakes manufacturing of several medicines and involves in direct supply. But for the last several months its supply to the ESI hospitals is halted, not even the tender process was also done, as mentioned in the circular of the DMS.

There is allegation that the DMS is not interested to procure medicines from manufacturers’ cooperative societies like IMPCOPS or Lekshmi Seva Sangham (Gandhigram Trust) in Dindukkal, or from leading suppliers like SKM Pharma.

All the ESI dispensaries are now running out of medicines for all kinds of diseases, said a medical officer.