Nagpur: The kin of Covid-19 patients and the medical fraternity woke up to an acute shortage of Remdesivir on Wednesday across the six districts of Nagpur division, including Chandrapur, Bhandara and Gadchiroli. There will be no respite from the short supply for a couple of more days due to the statewide demand for the life-saving injection.
Apart from the collectorate, NMC, and Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), even city police too are keeping tabs on the situation to ensure panic does not lead to any untoward turn.
Though the FDA data showed stocks of 7,881 vials of Remdesivir in Nagpur district, 3,289 in Wardha, 282 in Chandrapur, 304 in Bhandara and 302 in Gadchiroli on April 6, the supply at these places could barely meet the demand on Wednesday.
Till a consignment of Remdesivir arrived late on Wednesday afternoon, there was much anxiety among Covid hospitals and pharmacies about their fast-depleting stocks in the backdrop of the high rate of infection.
On Wednesday, the joint team of FDA and district administration, along with police, visited the offices of a pharmaceutical stockist and forwarding agent to scrutinize records, stocks, supply and distribution of Remdesivir. The team would now visit private Covid hospitals and their attached pharmacies.
An FDA source said reputed pharmaceutical companies had been sending their consignments of 4,000 vials four times a week, but supply also depends upon availability and frequency of transportation facilities, which may fluctuate. “There is high demand in every other district of Maharashtra, with six to seven pharmaceutical companies catering to it. Remdesivir is not manufactured in Maharashtra but comes from Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Baddi in Himachal Pradesh,” said the FDA source.
In the meanwhile, the Nagpur District Chemist and Druggist Association office-bearers Hetal Thakkar, Veerbhan Kewalramani, M Dubey and Rajendra Kawdekar met district collector Ravindra Thakare to request permission for retailers to sell Remdesivir, which was prohibited by him a day ago.