New Delhi: India has become very cautious about the deadly corona virus outbreak across the world. To ensure that there is no shortage of medicines in the country, the government may ban the export of about 12 drugs including antibiotics, vitamins and hormones.
The move aims to maintain the availability of essential medicines in India. Hubei province of China has the highest outbreak of corona virus and it is from this province that the Indian pharmaceutical industry imports the highest raw material or active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Although there is no shortage of medicines in the country at the moment, if Hubei province is kept closed even after February, it can cause problems.
The eight-member expert committee constituted to assess the availability of drugs in the country has recommended banning the export of progesterone hormone with 12 drugs including chloramphenicol, neomycin, metronidazole, azithromycin, clindamycin, vitamins B1, B2 and B6. Progestron is used to treat problems related to pregnancy and menstruation.
Apart from this, the panel has urged the central government to ask the state governments to implement the provisions of the Essential Commodities Act and take strict vigil against hoarding and creating any kind of artificial shortage.
The panel in its report has said that state governments should take steps to ensure that traders do not take advantage of the opportunity in any way and do not increase the prices of API or medicine formulations.
“We have prepared the final report and will submit it to the government on Tuesday,” said an official involved in the expert committee. Explain that India imports 80-85% of the raw material of medicines from China.
