Maharashtra: MDR-TB Drug Shortage Push Patients To The Brink

Mumbai: With each passing day, fear is tightening its grip around multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) patients as the Central Tuberculosis Division has failed to address the shortage of life-saving drugs even after two months. The dearth of medicines has pushed patients to the brink as they are scrambling resources to get drugs, but constantly losing hope while pulling out all stops.

“We have to shell out money from our pocket to procure TB medicines from private chemists as there is acute shortage. Getting the drugs is a tough task as after inquiring at different pharmacies, they are hardly available at a few shops. On one hand, the Centre has pledged for TB eradication while on the other hand, shortage of medicines is forcing patients to discontinue treatment,” said an Antop Hill resident who lost his wife in 2016 due to the MDR-TB. However, his 18-year-old daughter was diagnosed with type 4 drug-resistant TB which has an 18-month-long course of treatment. It has been a nightmare to get the drugs in the past three months, said the man.

Blame on centre

While India has targeted eliminating TB by 2025, three crucial drugs — Clofazimine, Linezolid, Cycloserine — for MDR-TB have not been available in Maharashtra. While the health department blames the Centre for this shortage, but kin of the patients hold the state government accountable. Mumbai alone reports 5,000 drug-resistant TB cases annually and around 3,000 of them die every year.

Missing prescribed medications exposes patients to serious consequences, including worsening symptoms and drug-resistant strains. Activist Ganesh Acharya questioned, “Who will be taking the responsibility if a patient does not complete the course and the consequence is drug resistance?”

A senior health official said “We have supplied Clofazimine while purchase orders for other Cycloserine and Linezolid have been issued.”