No medicine shortage in TN: Subramanian

COIMBATORE: Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ma Subramanian on Sunday said there is no shortage of medicine in government hospitals in the state.

Speaking to reporters in Namakkal, Subramanian said that essential life saving drugs required for the next three to four months were in stock in drug warehouses. “Politicians can themselves go and inspect the drug warehouses,” he said in response to AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami’s charge that there is shortage of life saving drugs and drug warehouses are to be closed.

Further, he said that Rs 30 crore has been allotted to construct five drug warehouses at Rs 6 crore each in Tamil Nadu, apart from the existing 32 warehouses.

“Because of the efforts taken by the state government, the H1N1 infections, which were around 300 to 350 cases per day three weeks ago, have reduced to less than 20 now,” he said.

On the inspections by Union Ministers in Tamil Nadu, Subramanian said that their inspections will continue till Lok Sabha polls. He also said that Chief Minister MK Stalin has insisted on opening of hospitals in the 11 government medical colleges, which came up last year, within the next two months. Later, the Health Minister inspected a drug warehouse in Salem.