Remdesivir shortage due to hoarding: Docs

Chennai: Remdesivir, a key drug in the fight against Covid and for treating pulmonary complaints, is in short supply in Tamil Nadu and doctors fear that the drug is in shortage following deliberate attempts by a section of the people to hoard the medicine.

While the government rate of the drug is Rs 600 for a vial, there are instances of the drug being priced at Rs 5,000 to Rs 13,000 in black market. The IMA, Tamil Nadu unit has already appealed to the government to strictly monitor the presence of the drug in the state and to prevent any hoarding or black marketing from taking place in the state.

Dr Ramakrishnan, Tamil Nadu state president of Indian Medical Association (IMA) said, "The price fixed by the government for Remdesivir is Rs 600 but there are instances wherein some distributors are jacking it to Rs 5,000 and in some cases much more. Government must do proper monitoring so that there is no hoarding of the life saving drug."

IMA is however expecting that with the pharmaceutical companies increasing production, the price of the drug will come down in the coming weeks.

Sujith Chandran, a resident of Virugambakkam in Chennai, "The black marketers are in full swing and I was running from pillar to post for the drug but they are demanding huge rates. We have to use the highest of our contacts to get the drug at the State government fixed rate."

IMA has already appealed to the State government to provide the Remedesivir drug to the private hospitals and the doctors body has given a representation to this effect to the State health department. State government run hospitals have the required stock of the vial.

The IMA is willing to take 7,000 vials with 250 vials for each district and has requested the government that the distribution of the drug to private hospitals is made through the Joint director of health services or even through Tamil Nadu medical services corporation.