New Delhi: Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss has said that India is well equipped to deal with the bird flu threat.
Ramadoss has announced that the government will stock one million doses of Tamiflu to meet contingencies.
The World Health Organisation has assigned over 15,000 doses from its stock and Indian firms will be allowed to produce the drug, though the patents are still disputed.
The government is already in discussion with pharmaceutical companies like Roche and GSK, Ramadoss said. Roche is the sole licensee for Tamiflu.
Ranbaxy, Cipla and Nicolas Piramal have also said that they want to produce the drug. Though they haven?t approached the ministry, but Health Secretary Prasanna Hota says availability of a key ingredient derived from a Chinese herb could hold up production.
"Let us not see it (drug development) as a legal battle, but as a public health emergency where everybody's help is needed," Hota said.
The government has stepped up surveillance of bird sanctuaries and poultry farms.
There have been no reports of bird flu in India, but migratory birds from China could import the epidemic.
Comments
0 comment