Hyderabad: Shortage of covid drugs leaves patients run helter-skelter

In view of severe shortage of Remdesivir and Tocilizumab even at hospitals, the attendants of patients are being asked to procure them on their own. This has triggered a frantic search for the drugs pushing them their at wits' end as DCA asks manufacturers to supply drugs only to hospitals, not pharmacies.

Hyderabad: With the government announcing that Remdesivir and Tocilizumab drugs can be administered for treatment of Covid-19 infection, the demand for them has shot up multifold. However, as the production of drugs is very low, the Drug Control Administration (DCA) has allowed the manufacturers to supply the drugs directly to hospitals so that there is no shortage for Covid positive in-patients. Despite this, there has been shortage of drugs even at the hospitals, and, so, the doctors are asking the patients to procure them on their own. As a result, the attendants of patients are running from pillar to post for the drugs.

The Director of DCA has informed druggists association that the aforementioned drugs were being supplied only to the hospitals, as the demand was very high and the production very low to meet it.

Ravinder K P, (name changed on request), bemoaned, "My cousin is admitted in a reputed corporate hospital and the doctor prescribed Remdisivir. I tried in almost 25 medical stores but could not get it."

Suman Gupta, Joint Secretary of the Greater Hyderabad Retail Medical Shops Association (GHRMSA), said, "The drug should be made available at all medical stores so that there is no scope to increase the price and, more importantly, in these difficult times patients should get the drugs without difficulty."

On Wednesday, GHRMSA submitted a representation to the DCA Director, to make the drugs available at all pharmacies to be sold at government recommended price." There are reports of black-marketing. The price of each vial is Rs 5,400 and a patient has to be administered six doses.

Greater Hyderabad Retail Medical Shops Association maintains that the drugs should be made available at all medical stores so that there is no scope to increase the price and, more importantly, patients need to get them without any difficulty