Tamil Nadu government hospitals running short of critical medicines for pre-term babies
Surfactant medicines are essential to inflate the lungs of pre-term babies in need of the therapy. Inquiries with a number of hospitals and doctors reveal that a number of centres have been facing short supply of surfactant drugs
Critical medicines essential for pre-term babies are in short supply at government hospitals across Tamil Nadu, according to doctors and medical officials. Surfactant medicines, used to inflate the lungs of premature infants, have been in shortage for months. This shortage has been flagged by Special Newborn Care Units (SNCUs) at various hospitals.
Doctors attribute the shortage to a lack of allotments, miscalculated requirements, and higher utilisation of the medicine. Some hospitals are sourcing the medicine from neighbouring facilities, while others have purchased it privately using their funds. The Health Department denies the shortage, stating that there was no procurement delay and that the issue could have been due to miscalculations or increased usage. A six-month purchase order worth nearly ₹9 crore has been issued to address the problem.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu Health's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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