Patients in Pune asked by hospitals, COVID care centers to arrange Remdesivir injection from outside

Pic/Satej Shinde

Crisis over the shortage of Remdesivir injection in Maharashtra continued on Monday with relatives of some of the patients in Pune alleging that hospitals and COVID-19 care centers are asking them to arrange the drug from chemist shops located outside.

People, in large numbers, were seen staging a protest outside a chemist shop in the Shukrawar Peth area over the shortage of Remdesivir injection.

"My father-in-law has been admitted at a COVID-19 care center. Doctors have made him call us for Remdesivir injection," a family member of a COVID-19 patient Madhuri Parekar said.

"The helpline number of Remdesivir Control Room launched by the Pune district is constantly busy," she added.

Another patient's relative Tofik Shaikh, who came here from Solapur to buy the Remdesivir injection, said, "Information is circulating on WhatsApp that the COVID-19 drug is available here but there is no sign of it. My brother is in serious condition, if something happens to him, who will be responsible?"

"Doctors are asking us to make the injection available to them, how will I arrange it?" another patient's relative said.

Remdesivir injection is available at big hospitals but not in the small health centers, another patient alleged.

Earlier, the district administration had issued an order that hospitals should not be asking patient's relatives to arrange the Remdesivir injection from outside, and instead, they should themselves procure it from chemists based on their requirement and use it for treatment.

However, despite the order, hospitals are prescribing Remdesivir injection and are asking the patient's relatives to arrange it.

Shockingly the prescription has also been given from the government hospitals as well.

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