Flood-hit Kerala faces shortage of essential medicines

KOCHI: The flood hit Kerala is now facing the shortage of drugs leaving many staying in rehabilitation camps across the state without essential medicines. Authorities and NGOs are unable to cater to the needs of those at relief camps due to shortage of medicines as well as lack of transportation facilities.

According to the dealers of medicines at least 500 medical stores in the state have been inundated completely or partially in the flood. "It is in the districts like Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Wayanad, Malappuram, Palakkad and Kozhikode that the medical stores among other shops and houses are inundated. Of these, Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Ernakulam and Alappuzha are the most affected districts," said Thomas Raju, state general secretary, All Kerala

Chemists and Druggists Association

. "We are getting calls from many areas like Chengannur, Ranni and different parts of Ernakulam district that we get more requests. In Pathanathitta district alone at least 150 medical stores have been submerged in the flood. In Munnar, Ranni, Thiruvalla, Chengannur, Edathua, Chalakkudy, Iringalakkuda, Knodotty, Kiolandy, Aluva and Kalady areas, many medical shops were inundated. We are unable to contact our members because of many of them are at relief camps or remain stranded. So, we haven’t got a final picture," he said.

Fortunately, around 90 percent of godowns of pharmaceutical companies which supply medicines in the state are based in Kochi have not been affected. "Many such godowns are in the areas like Kakkanad and are not affected. So, we procure medicines from there. As most roads remain cut off, we are unable to transport the medicines to the needy in many areas like Chengannur. Still, we are providing medicines and other essential items free of cost at the relief camps," Thomas Raju said.

Besides, All Kerala Chemists and Druggists Association, many other organizations also are engaged in free distribution of medicines to the relief camps. "In Thiruvananthapuram district, we don’t have much difficulty in providing drugs to the needy. But, the situations in other districts are not so. The organizations like ours are not able to supply medicines there," said Unnikrishna Panikkar, a retired drugs control department officials and head of Solace.

Officials with Drugs Control department also confirmed the constraints in distributing medicines to flood affected areas. "As of now, Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam are not affected. So, we have sent Rs 15 lakh worth medicines to Pathanamthitta. Similarly, we have airlifted some medicines to Kuttanellur near Angamaly for the use in Ernakulam district. Moreover, our drugs inspectors have collected medicines from some of the medical stores in Angamaly," said Ravi S Menon, Drugs Controller, Kerala. "We also procured medicines from Perumbavoour and send it to Kuttampuzha. We haven’t got call from other districts. Still, we are arranging medicines for the use of districts like Wayanad," he said. "Once the water recedes the problems can be solved. There are godwons of all the major pharmaceutical companies. But, we are unable to transport the medicines to different parts of the state from Ernakulam," Ravi S Menon said.