In the wake of the global rise in Covid-19 cases, the Indian government has asked pharma companies to ensure adequate stocks of all drugs, including those for Covid management.
Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya held a virtual review meeting on 29 December to take stock of Covid arrangements and to ensure the smooth supply of all medicines amid reports that India could see a rise in cases in January.
The review meeting was taken in view of the spike in Covid-19 cases in some countries including China, a ministry statement said.
“India’s pharmaceutical industry is robust, resilient, and responsive. It is due to their strength that we could not only meet our down demand during the pandemic but also be in a position to supply medicines to 150 countries,” news agency PTI quoted Mandaviya as saying.
The government told the pharma companies to keep a tab on the global supply chain as well as monitor the production and availability of APIs as well as essential medicines for Covid management. They were told to ensure adequate stocks up to the retail level.
India is on a nationwide alert in India as part of which mock drills were conducted to check the state of preparedness, HealthTekPak reported. The nationwide mock drills checked the availability of medical facilities in hospitals, isolation wards, beds, oxygen facilities, and the capacity of beds equipped with ventilator supports.
