The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) health department is scheduled to meet pharmaceutical company Pharmedic Laboratories on Friday (today) to work out a solution to the interferon shortage in the province.
A high-ranking official of the department told The Express Tribune the government has paid Rs70.3 million to the Lahore-based company for 0.8 million vials of interferon, but cannot take the medicine used to treat hepatitis. The case has been pending in court regarding substandard interferon since 2013, he added, explaining the gap in supply.
At the time, the Anti-Corruption Establishment seized over 0.5 million vials from public hospitals. According to an official source, the remaining stock of interferon with the health department ran out in November and since then patients await free treatment as they cannot afford to buy the drug at retail cost from pharmacies. The shortage is affecting an estimated 47,000 patients of hepatitis C across the province.
Addressing the issue
The insider said it was revealed at a recent meeting of the health department that 0.2 million vials of interferon are needed for nearly 3,500 newly-registered patients of hepatitis C. The meeting also had a detailed discussion on a comprehensive communication strategy to sensitise health care providers, and on the formation of a provincial apical body to conceptualise, plan and implement a joint awareness campaign on all forms of hepatitis as well as HIV/AIDS.
The senior health department official said the company has already been paid and yet the vaccines are not being provided. “This is a serious issue. We gave them the money in advance and we cannot let this slide; the court case was filed regarding available interferon vials, not any future contracts,” he said requesting anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media.
He said the department can purchase a fresh stock of the medicine but is apprehensive because if new vials are bought and then Pharmedic Laboratories decides to hand over the 0.8 million vials, it would be difficult to take care of the huge stock.
“We want to resolve the issue of interferon shortage as soon as possible and for this reason we have scheduled a meeting with the company on Friday. I hope we figure out a solution,” he added.
In writing
Documents available with The Express Tribune show the PC-1 of K-P’s hepatitis programme has been approved by the Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) and Rs181 million has been allocated. Moreover, Rs88.9 million has also been released from the Prime Minister’s Programme for Prevention and Control of Hepatitis for 2014-15.
According to the document, from 2009 to June 2014, Rs360.4 million was utilised from the Annual Development Programme for the prevention and control of hepatitis. In 2013-2014 the number of registered hepatitis patients in K-P grew to 59,000.
“Currently interferon is not available for hepatitis C patients,” states the official document, adding 837, 984 vials of interferon are lying with Pharmedic Laboratories which have been paid for but not yet provided to patients since the case is sub judice in the Peshawar High Court.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 12th, 2014.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ