State-run Essential Drugs to begin full-scale IV Fluid production this month
The facility, run by the Essential Drugs Company Limited, has a target of producing 2.16 crore bottles of IV fluids annually. Trial production has already begun, and full-scale commercial operations are expected to start by the end of this month
Highlights
- Demand for IV fluids rises during dengue season
- Govt plans large-scale IV fluid production at Essential Drugs
- The plant in Gopalganj targets producing 2.16cr bottles annually
- Will expand production if needed
- Govt aims to supply it to public hospitals at lower costs
- This will reduce dependence on private suppliers
The government is set to begin large-scale production of intravenous (IV) fluids at a state-owned plant in Gopalganj, aiming to supply public hospitals at lower costs and reduce dependence on private suppliers.
The facility, run by the Essential Drugs Company Limited, has a target of producing 2.16 crore bottles of IV fluids annually. Trial production has already begun, and full-scale commercial operations are expected to start by the end of this month.
IV fluids are sterile solutions administered directly into a person's vein, typically through a drip, to deliver fluids, electrolytes, and medications. They are used to prevent or treat dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, and other conditions when a patient cannot take fluids or medications orally. IV fluids include injectable saline and many other fluids.
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No exact data is available on the country's annual requirement for IV fluids.
According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), the demand for IV fluids rises during the dengue season. From June to November, between 7.5 lakh and 8 lakh bottles of IV fluids are needed each month. For government hospitals alone, around 48 lakh bottles must be stocked for six months.
Md A Samad Mridha, managing director and chief executive officer of Essential Drugs, said the facility is now functional and has undergone trial runs. "After minor modifications, we will be able to produce normal saline and cholera saline within 10-15 days to meet the government's demand. We can also expand production further if needed," he said.
Md Sayedur Rahman, special assistant to the chief adviser for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, told TBS that Essential Drugs' new production capability will provide significant relief to the ministry.
Md Zahangir Hossain, general manager of Essential Drugs (3rd Plant), told TBS, "At our plant, we will not only produce IV fluids for dengue but also cholera saline, sodium chloride, dextrose, Cipro, and 16-18 other types. We hope our plant's IV fluids will be able to meet a large part of the demand of government hospitals."
Trial batches of 100ml, 500ml, and 1000ml IV fluid bottles are currently undergoing validation, he said. Officials from the Directorate General of Drug Administration are scheduled to inspect the plant around 25 August, after which commercial production will begin if approval is granted.
Production capacity to tipple
The factory currently can produce 34,000 bottles of IV fluids per day, Zahangir said. "With the addition of two more machines soon, production capacity will triple to over 1 lakh bottles daily. The project has started with a single unit, but there is space for future expansion."
Currently, Essential Drugs sources IV fluids from private companies, leading to higher costs. The new plant is expected to reduce prices significantly.
Essential Drugs estimates that a 100ml saline bottle, which currently costs Tk48, could be produced for Tk38. Similarly, a 500ml bottle could be produced for Tk52 instead of Tk67.74, and a 1,000ml bottle for Tk70 instead of Tk87.
Bangladesh's only other state-run IV fluids manufacturer, the Institute of Public Health in Dhaka, has not produced IV fluids for the past six years. Six private companies currently produce IV fluids, although two – Libra Infusions and Square Pharmaceuticals – have temporarily suspended production.
Khairul Basher, assistant vice president of Orion Infusion Ltd, told TBS, "The government has not yet adjusted the price, so private companies are producing IV fluids at a loss. So, the sector is not growing, and no new companies are entering the market. If Essential Drugs produces IV fluids, it could help meet part of the seasonal demand, especially from April to October."
The severe IV fluid crisis in September 2023, caused by a record number of dengue cases, led the government to import 20 lakh bottles of IV fluids from India.
