Mumbai:

Enough orders were not placed to meet the medicine demand of government hospitals in Maharashtra, alleged a drug’s body after 31 patients died in a span of 48 hours at a state facility.

An NDTV ground report indicated shortage of medicines being a factor that led to the unfolding of the hospital horror in Nanded. However, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde denied there were shortages of medicines and staff.

Haffkine Biopharmaceutical, which supplies medicines to government facilities, placed only 10-12 orders this year against the usual annual average of up to 2,000 orders to supply medicines to medical colleges and government hospitals, said Abhay Pandey, President, All Food and Drug License Holders Foundation.

This shows there was a shortage of medicines in medical colleges and government hospitals, said Mr Pandey, adding that Haffkine is responsible for meeting 70% of the medicine demands.