Exclusive | COVID-19: NPPA seeks urgent supply details on gloves, PPEs, kits, and ventilators as hoarding fears rise

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India’s drug price regulator, National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has sought details from state governments on order volumes and existing stocks of medical devices and personal protective equipment kits (PPEs) to crack down on potential hoarders, artificial shortage and price rise, as it battles to contain the spread of Coronavirus.

NPPA Chairman Shubhra Singh has asked state governments to give details on the availability of PPE, masks (two-ply, three-ply and N95), gloves, testing kits and ventilators, and the production capacity available in each of these states. It has also sought information on the volume of orders that state governments, state-owned companies, and private hospitals have placed for these.

The state governments have been asked to share information by April 5. “This may be treated on priority,” the NPPA chairman said in the letter that Moneycontrol has reviewed.

Singh, who has written to the state chief secretaries, has also sought details of current stock in hand at government hospitals, public sector undertakings, cooperatives, and private health service providers.

The NPPA has also sought details of stock in hand of these items at the retail level –pharmacies, drug and chemist stores, amid fears of hoarding by retailers, producers, and even wealthy individuals.

Besides, Singh has also asked all chief secretaries to give an assessment of the requirement for the next two months of PPEs, masks, gloves, and ventilators to deal with COVID-19, both for government and private establishments.

Along with an assessment of the current level of shortfall of these devices and equipment, the NPPA chairperson has also asked state governments for a proposal to address the shortage.

The Centre has notified all medical devices as `drugs’ from April 1, 2020, effectively bringing nearly 5,000 devices including gloves, masks, PPEs, and ventilators under the NPPA’s regulatory supervision for quality control and price monitoring.

“This is a major tool in the emerging situation due to COVID-19,” Singh wrote in the letter to the chief secretaries.