Helpline set up for swine flu plaints

Mumbai: The Food and Drug Administration has taken cognisance of the shortage of swine flu medicines like oseltamivir tablets and has set up a helpline in the control room at the FDA Headquarters to deal with the same because of the proliferation of swine flu in state.

In case, the medicines are not available at a general medical store or any civic or state run hospital, people can contact the helpline numbers and register a complaint.

Availability of ‘Oseltamivir Capsule and Syrup’ and Tamiflu which are used for treating swine flu in maximum medical stores is very necessary for effective control of the swine flu disease.  These medicines are only available against prescription of a registered medical practitioner.

Accordingly, most retail medical stores should have availability of swine flu medicines in the state. List of medical stores is also uploaded on FDA website –fda.maharashtra.gov.in for the information of patients and doctors. FDA has created a control room at the headquarters having the help line number –1800222365. Patients can also contact on telephone no. 022-26592362, 26592363, 26592364.

According to the FDA Commissioner Dr. Pallavi Darade, “ All the divisional joint commissioners (drug) are instructed to check availability of medicines in their zone /district, and people finding difficult to get it can contact us.”

After the swine flu outbreak, the Tamiflu medicine, which was earlier in the Schedule H category of drugs and was available only at certain shops, has been categorised as H1 drug and is available in all pharmacies. There are only a limited number of shops with the permission to sell Schedule H drug.

Of the 490 cases reported between January and June this year, 383 of those affected are residents of Mumbai while the remaining are not residents of the city.