‘Robust mechanism in place to address any supply gap in essential medicines’
In a social media post, the Health Minister responded to a report published by The Hindu on the shortage of surfactants for the past few months
On September 22, 2026, Health Minister K.G. Arunraj assured the public that a robust mechanism and Standard Operating Procedure were in place to tackle any temporary shortage of essential medicines in Tamil Nadu hospitals. The minister addressed concerns raised by a The Hindu article about hospitals running low on surfactants for pre-term babies. Surfactants, crucial for resuscitating newborn lungs, had been in short supply for months.
Arunraj instructed all medical college deans and Joint Directors of Health Services to swiftly utilize available funds to procure surfactants. These funds include monies from the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme and Special Newborn Care Unit operational costs at the institutional level. As of now, ₹409.81 crore was set aside under the Directorate of Medical Education and ₹34.17 crore under the Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services.
The minister emphasized there were no financial barriers to ensure a continuous supply of surfactants.
He reiterated the directive to all Chief Medical Officers and heads of Pediatrics departments to implement the local purchase of these life-saving drugs. Compliance would be closely monitored, with any failure to use the local procurement mechanism being taken seriously.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
