Amid the surge in COVID-19 cases, shortages of antiviral drug Remdesivir are being reported across the country. The antiviral drug used for the treatment of COVID-19 treatment is now being sold unchecked on the classifieds website OLX.
Several OLX users from Maharashtra and Gujarat are selling vials of Remdesivir on the website, according to India Today TV.
Reports of people selling Remdesivir vials unchecked on OLX have come at a time when the nation is dealing with a shortage of the antiviral drug. Long queues for Remdesivir outside pharmacies are being reported across the country. The worsening COVID-19 situation in the country has not deterred people from selling the life-saving drug on the unchecked market. Medicines are one of the few things that are not allowed to be sold on OLX.
At a time when the supply of Remdesivir is low and demand is high, those who had hoarded the antiviral injections are now selling them on OLX at much higher rates than usual.
Remdesivir injections are being sold for Rs 5,000-6,000 on OLX, according to India Today TV. Several search results for Remdesivir are popping up on OLX.
One person identified as Satyam in Gujarat had put an advertisement for 100 Remdesivir vials on OLX. Satyam was selling each injection at Rs 1,400-1,600.
Recently in Madhya Pradesh, a medical shop owner and two other people were arrested by the state's Special Task Force (STF) for allegedly selling Remdesivir injections on the black market.