Odisha urges Centre for adequate supply of TB drugs

Bhubaneswar: The state government has urged the Centre to take immediate steps for adequate supply of TB drugs to Odisha.

There has been inadequate supply of anti-TB drugs to Odisha from the Central TB Division of the Union Government since February, 2023, said Health and Family Welfare Minister Niranjan Pujari in his letter to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya today.

The inadequate supply of anti-TB drugs has adversely affected the implementation of National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) in the state, Pujari added.

In his letter, Pujari claimed that the anti-TB drugs were unavailable in local market. As a result, the state government could not procure the drugs locally, he said.

Pujari further claimed that the state government had raised the issue of inadequate supply of anti-TB drugs with the Centre on several occasions. Besides, the Director, Public Health and the Mission Director, NHM in Odisha had written two separate letters to the Centre for adequate supply of anti-TB drugs to the state. But, the Centre is yet to take any step in this regard, Pujari said.

“Under these circumstances, it is requested to kindly look into the matter urgently and take appropriate steps for early supply of TB drugs to Odisha,” Pujari added.