Scarcity of life-saving drugs reaches alarming stage

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Naim-Ul-Karim
Supply shortfall of some life-saving drugs, coupled with the surge in their prices, has created untold sufferings of the patients over the last few weeks in the city.
Market sources said scarcity in supply of essential drugs has reached an alarming situation during the last one week.
Market sources said price of 'Human Albumin', used at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) rose up to Tk 2800 from Tk-1700 Monday. An inhaler is now selling at Tk700-Tk750 from its market retail price (MRP) of Tk180.
"We do not have some life-saving drugs in stock. We can not help although the buyers want to offer higher prices," said Akbar Hossain of Ittadi Medicine at PG Hospital gate, Shahbagh.
Market sources said there is an acute shortage of commonly used drugs like insulin, injection used in ICU, inhaler, vitamin-c, eye drop, antacid, saline and antibiotic medicines in the market over the last one week.
The plight of thousands of diabetic patients has worsened as supply of widely used insulin -- Insuman Comb -- manufactured by Aventis Pharmaceuticals Ltd has suddenly stopped, drug sellers near the BIRDEM hospital said.
When asked, Iftekharul Islam, managing director of Aventis Pharmaceuticals Ltd, said supply of his company's insulin has been disrupted due to poor stock.
"This particular product of our company will be available in the market after November 9," he said.
Regarding shortage in supply of some imported medicines, sources said the delay in approval of import of raw materials is one of the key reasons for such scarcity.
"We are not getting speedy government approval on import of specific drugs or raw materials," said the managing director of a pharmaceutical company.
Another source said: "It is true that a section of officials concerned are not asking us for speed money after the recent anti-corruption drive, but the officials are not providing prompt service."
Nazmul Hassan, secretary general of Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries (BAPI) said prices of raw materials have increased in the international market alarmingly, but the prices of medicine in the country have not been raised.
Because of this, he said: "Some manufacturers have stopped production of vitamin-c as price of its raw materials has increased by 250 per cent over the last year's level."
Apart from this, sources said, intensified vigilance in the ports has prevented inflow of drugs in the country through informal channels, which is partly responsible for the supply shortfall.
"We have stopped selling those medicines that have no registration of the office of Drug Administration," a drug seller said.
When contacted, an official concerned of the government said, they are planning to sit with the drug manufacturers to discuss the problems relating to the supply.