Indian Government Continues Tamiflu Ban

The Indian Government is taking their responsibilties very seriously regarding the H5N1 bird flu epidemic and unlike most of the world's nation had originally decided to ban the retail sales of the bird flu drug Tamiflu. Recently despite calls for this ban to be lifted it has been reconfirmed.

The reason for the ban is simple: the Indian Government and health authorities think that if the drug is sold in pharmacies it will be hoarded by speculators and richer people and should a bird flu pandemic strike the drug will either become very expensive as the speculators seek to make a large profit or it will not be stocked where it is needed the most and this could exacerbate the flu problem.

A spokesman from Roche the maker of Tamiflu said that they had tried to get the ban overturned so that it could be sold in pharmacies and hospitals. However the Indian taskforce for bird flu were of the opinion that the health of Indian people was more important than the business interests of Roche and have therefore decided that only the Indian government will distribute the Tamiflu to prevent the public panicking and rampant and illegal speculation. At present the rules say that no Tamiflu is to be sold in Indian except to the Indian government and its authorised agencies.

Tamiflu has been given the full approval by the World Health Organisation as an effective drug to tackle the H5N1 bird flu virus.