Tamil Nadu government hospitals face surfactant shortage for premature babies
Government hospitals across Tamil Nadu are running short on surfactant, a medicine that helps premature babies breathe.
This shortage has been going on for months, leaving newborn care units in places like Theni, Dharmapuri, Tiruppur, Cuddalore, and Chennai scrambling to find enough supplies.
Some hospitals have had to borrow from others or buy privately just to keep up.
Tamil Nadu says ₹9cr surfactant order
The main reason? Officials say it's a mix of underestimated demand and more babies needing the medicine than expected.
The health department insists there haven't been procurement delays and says a big order worth nearly ₹9 crore is on its way, with new stock expected in two days.
For now, they're shifting supplies between centers, like moving supplies from Coimbatore to make sure no hospital runs out while they sort things out.