Tamil Nadu government hospitals running short of critical medicines for pre-term babies

Government hospitals across Tamil Nadu are facing a shortage of surfactant medicines, a critical and life-saving medicine for pre-term babies.

The shortage has been persisting for the past few months, and several Special Newborn Care Units (SNCUs) at government hospitals have been flagging it up for the Health Department.

Doctors said surfactant medicines are essential to inflate the lungs of preterm babies in need of the therapy. They utilised external bovine or porcine surfactants (intratracheal) in preterm babies. These surfactants were part of the speciality drug rate contract purchases of the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation (TNMSC).