Question : National Pharmacuetical Stockpile of Life Saving Drugs

(a) whether the Government is undertaking a weekly review of the status of life saving drugs availability in India, if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether the Government is having any proposal to create National Pharmaceutical Stockpile (NPS) of life saving drugs like the system adopted in USA under the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS);
(c) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
(d) whether the Government proposes to consider the State of Tamil Nadu as one of the location for stockpiling of essential medicine to meet any kind of emergency similar to severe shortage of medicines faced during second wave of COVID-19 pandemic; and
(e) if so, the details thereof and the steps taken in this regard?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND
FAMILY WELFARE
(DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

(a) to (e): Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has formulated guidelines for Buffer stock Management of COVID-19 drugs. The said guidelines have been communicated to all States/UTs advising the States/UTs including Tamil Nadu to set up buffer stocks of critical drugs for Covid-19 management for addressing any further surge in Covid-19 cases.
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