Shortage of critical drug must be addressed
Recent news about the short supply of Desferal, a life-saving drug used by thalassemia patients, is a cause of serious concern for more than one lakh people suffering from the disease in India. As the particular drug is only manufactured by the Swiss pharmaceutical company, Novartis, the Government must ensure that the essential drug is also made at home. Further, the Government could consider the inclusion of Desferal in the category of National list of Essential Medicines (NlEM) so as to prevent price rise and short supply. Sensing the urgency of the situation, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare could have brought the drug under the NlEM while revising the list last year. The allegations brought by civil society organisations and health activists, that it is an artificial scarcity created by the Swiss firm to increase prices, must be verified by the Government. Around the same time, the drug manufacturer's claim that the product is not in short supply, has created confusion among patients and thalassemia societies across the country. It is time that the Health Ministry steps in to check the actual status of the medicine's availability. For now, there are reports from across the country that patients are finding it difficult to access the drug. This could be a distribution bottleneck, or something more. A few States have decided to tweak their procurement processes to import higher quantities of Desferal.
Thalassemia is an inherited disorder that comes from parents to children. It is one of the most common types of hemoglubinopathies which finally results in excessive loss of red blood cells, leading to anemia, heart ailments and liver complications. The most affected States of Punjab, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, which are in urgent need of Desferal, can urge other States to rescue them from the shortage, so that critical patients do not suffer for the time being. Meanwhile, the Swiss manufacturer has claimed that an alternative drug is available in the market, which is also used for treating thalassemia. But health experts and many patients have complained about severe side effects of the medicine.
The issue of shortage came into the limelight after an organisation, the National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled (NPRD), earlier this month sought the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare JP Nadda's intervention to ensure that thalassemia patients received adequate supplies of the drug. “The lives of thousands of thalassemics who have to undergo regular blood transfusions are in danger. If the drug is not taken regularly, the excess iron that gets accumulated can damage vital organs. Some patients require at least three vials every day”, the NPRD appeal to the Government said. The organisation had swung into action after it received reports from various States of patients suffering from non-availability of the medicine.