Remdesivir Panic Is Real As Drug Shortage Leads To Black Marketing And Chaos Across India
Remdesivir is not a proven treatment against COVID-19. Governments have said it, the courts have said it. Even the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said and reiterated this fact. Yet, in India, people are rushing to the pharmacies and hospitals with prescriptions for the drug leading to a crunch in its supply.
Let's take a look at what's happening across the country regarding the much in-demand anti-Covid drug.?
Madhya Pradesh
A medical shop owner and two others were arrested on Thursday by the Madhya Pradesh police's Special Task Force (STF) for allegedly black marketing Remdesivir injections used in the treatment of COVID-19 patients, an official said.Reportedly, police's Special Task Force sleuths recovered 12 vials of injections of two different brands from them. It was printed on the packet of these vials that they are meant ''for export only''. The maximum sale price was not printed on them, but they were trying to sell each injection at ? 20,000, the official said.
Notably, the maximum retail price per vial for various brands of Remdesivir are Rs 5,400 for Hetero company, Rs 4,700 for Mylan, Rs 4,700 for Jubliant, Rs 5,400 for Reddy¡¯s, Rs 4,000 for Cipla and Rs 899 for Zydus.
Uttar Pradesh
Similarly, three persons, including two medical representatives, were arrested from Kanpur for allegedly black marketing Remdesivir injections, the Uttar Pradesh Police said. A total of 265 vials were seized from the arrested men who were selling the drug for Rs 4,000, thus making an earning of more than Rs 10 lakhs.
Maharashtra
Three men including a doctor were arrested on Tuesday on charges of selling Remdesivir injection in Mumbai¡¯s fast-growing black market for the key antiviral drug for Covid-19 patients that is in short supply, the Mumbai police said on Wednesday.?The gang had offered three injections for total price of Rs. 59,000 as against the retail price of about Rs. 1,400 per injection.?
In a separate instance, relatives & families of COVID-19 patients in Pune on Thursday staged a sit-in protest outside Collector's office demanding the anti-viral drug.
Chhattisgarh
A long queue of family members of COVID patients was seen outside a medical store to procure Remdesivir injection, in Raipur on Thursday."I have been here since Wednesday morning. My patient needs 6 injections but they won't give more than one," one of the men in the queue said.?
Gujarat
Hundreds queued up outside the Bhartiya Janata Party office in Surat after state party President CR Patil announced free distribution of 5,000 doses of Remdesivir amid a shortage of the anti-viral drug used to treat COVID-19 patients.?Over 100-meter-long queue was seen outside the BJP's office on April 12, Indian Express reported. The free distribution started from the BJP's Surat office on April 10.
Chaos on Twitter
Even Twitter is awash with people requesting vials of the drug to treat their loved ones currently in intensive care units (ICUs). Communication along the supply chain, from the manufacturers to the end consumer, has a lot left to desire and is adding to the chaos.??
Check availability?
To help people get access to the drug easily, pharma major Dr Reddy's Laboratories' official website has listed various details on the availability of Remdesivir as well as Favipiravir tablets used to treat Covid patients.The website -- readytofightcovid.in -- lists all hospitals and pharma shops in different cities which have the two drugs available, along with phone numbers and addresses.
It also provides access to a 24/7 helpline number -- 1800-266-708 -- for all queries related to the Covid drugs.The website is intended to provide contact details of the local distributors who are engaged in the sale and distribution of the Covid medicines and vaccines distributed by Dr Reddy's Laboratories.
