No shortage of TB drugs in India, regular supply to states ensured: Govt

There is no shortage of anti-tuberculosis drugs in the country and there has been a regular supply of anti-TB drugs to all the states and UTs from the central level under the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP), said an official release.

According to the release from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, "There is no shortage of anti-tuberculosis drugs in the country. There has been a regular supply of anti-TB drugs to all the states and UTs from the central level under the NTEP throughout the year."

"Regular assessments are conducted to evaluate the stock positions at various levels, from central warehouses to peripheral health institutes," it said.

Further, states and UTs have been provisioned with resources for local procurement in limited quantities as and when required to meet the emergent requirements.

The details of the stock positions of anti-tuberculosis drugs are as under: The year-wise details for demand and disbursement of tuberculosis drugs from 2019 to 2023, as per Indent and Release Orders, are placed at https://tbcindia.gov.in/showfile.php?lid=3721

Earlier this year, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issued a statement refuting recent media reports that suggest a shortage of anti-tuberculosis (TB) drugs in India and question the efficacy of these drugs under the NTEP.

The ministry had labelled these reports as vague and ill-informed, lacking specific information about the availability of anti-TB medicines in stock.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare assures that significant efforts are in place to ensure the availability of these crucial anti-TB drugs, with regular assessments conducted to evaluate stock positions at various levels, from central warehouses to peripheral health institutes.

Therefore, the media reports were deemed vague and ill-informed, not accurately reflecting the actual stock of anti-TB drugs in the country.