Health Ministry seeks ban on export of anti-TB drugs

The Union Health Ministry has sought a ban on the export of anti-tuberculosis drugs over concerns that the lockdown due to COVID-19 has affected the production of such medicines.

Delay in production and receipt of supply may cause acute shortage of these drugs, Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan said as she requested an empowered group of government officials to direct the department of pharmaceuticals under the ministry of chemicals and fertilizers and commerce ministry for issuing necessary directions for prohibiting export of anti-TB medicines.

In a letter to Drinking Water and Sanitation Secretary Parameswaran Iyer, who is also the chairman of the empowered group for facilitating supply chain and logistics management, she said, "In view of the emergency measures undertaken, the availability of limited number of manpower and material to the pharmaceutical industry, the production capacity of the leading anti-TB drug manufacturers of India has been affected."