"As the companies have not supplied the intravenous fluids for last three weeks, we have to buy the fluids from the brokers of Mitford area with additional Tk 10 to 20," said a seller of DS Pharmacy in front of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital.

"Even three days ago we sold the Hartman's Solution that is mostly used for the injury patients at Tk 60 a bag but now we are selling it at Tk120. As the doctors prescribed, helpless patients have to buy the fluids with much higher prices," another seller of a drug store said.

"Although the hospital is supposed to supply the medicines and fluids (generally known as saline) free of cost to the poor patients, we have to buy all the medicines including intravenous fluids from outside," said a relative of Jahangir, who was admitted to the DMCH on Sunday after receiving head and neck injuries in a road accident.

During a visit to the only government-run Intravenous Fluid Production Unit at the Institute of Public Health (IPH) at Mohakhali this correspondent was informed that production of IV fluid there has not increased at all since 1974 whereas the demand has increased five to six times.

"The target of IV fluid production including glucose saline, glucose aqua, normal saline, cholera saline, PD fluid, 3% normal saline, baby saline, haemodialysis fluid and Hartman's Solution is 20 lakh bags a year, but the production is lower," Superintendent of IV Fluid Unit of IPH Mesbah Uddin told The Daily Star.

He said shortage of manpower and equipment and budget constraint are mainly responsible for reduced production.

It is estimated that only 10 per cent of the total demand of infusion is met by the government's IV Fluid Unit.

However, the fixed price of Hartman's Solution produced at the government is much lower than the ones produced by private-owned companies.

To meet up the remaining demand, Beximco, Opso Saline, Libra and Orion Infusion manufacture the intravenous fluids especially Hartman's Solution, cholera saline, dextrose aqua and normal saline.

Experts said these life saving fluids are used to replenish body fluid mainly during and after operation, major blood loss in any injury and cholera or acute dehydration. Besides, mannitol and dialysis fluids are used in neurosurgery and head injury patients and for peritoneal dialysis (dialysis through a hole in a tummy).

"The total amount of fluid in an adult human body is 42 litres, which also includes six litres of blood and acute 10 to 20 per cent fluid loss need replenishment where these fluids play an important role," said Associate Professor of the Department of Anaesthesia of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Dr Nezam Uddin Ahmed.

Ninety per cent of the fluids in the country are supplied by Beximco, Opso Saline, Libra and Orion Infusion, said Director (Marketing) of Beacon Pharma Akhter Hossain.

Akhter Hossain, who was earlier involved with Beximco for a long time, said Beximco alone covers around 30 to 40 per cent of the country's infusion market.

"As the company could not produce infusions for a few months due to shortage of raw materials, supply of infusion is hampered. But it is mainly an artificial crisis made by the medicine sellers," he said.

Chief Executive Officer of Beximco Pharmaceuticals Nazmul Hassan said demand of intravenous fluids especially the Hartman's Solution has increased much during the last few weeks while the packaging cost of IV fluids has doubled in last few months and the companies that consider the business as less profitable have lessened production.

He said on an average, Beximco marketed more than 17,000 bags of Hartman's Solution per week three months ago, but last week it marketed only 14,000 bags.

He blamed a group of unscrupulous traders for enhancing people's suffering by taking the advantage of the crisis.

This correspondent visited around 20 drug stores at different places in the capital and found that only three drug stores were selling the intravenous fluids.

"We have heard that import of raw materials have been suspended for some reasons and that is why the companies cannot supply fluids as per demand," said Abul Kalam of Day Night Pharmacy adding that from morning to noon they had to say sorry to around 50 patients or their relatives, as they had no fluid at all.

Two or three days ago, the suppliers had assured that the supply condition would be normal within a day or two.

But several retailers yesterday said they were yet to get normal supply of fluids.