Nagpur: The acute short supply of crucial drugs like Remdesivir and Tocilizumab in particular and other injectables due to high demand has led to a slow recovery rate as treating doctors are compelled to compromise on doses even for admitted moderate to severe patients.
The slow recovery rate has also pushed up the period of bed occupancy at hospitals, aggravating the shortage of beds.
Though the experts often attribute the slow recovery to the new strain of the virus that causes Covid-19, they are also equally agreeing with the fact that the shortage of drugs has left the patients in lurch. The course of treatment had to be modified by prescribing the available drugs, often leading to a delayed and even incomplete recuperation, they said.
The statistics shared by the district information office also underlined the fact that during the period of drug shortage there had been an increase in number of patients in hospitals. Till the midnight of April 14, there had been 13,672 patients in different Covid hospitals, which increased to 14,079 on April 15. After a brief drop on April 16, there was another leap the following day with 15,247 patients in hospital. The number further increased to 20,246 as on April 18.
Dr Pinak Dande of the Dande Hospital said the patients cannot be discharged or are not willing to take discharge until and unless they feel cured and safe. “Without completion of the treatment course, the patients are not cured and are also not safe to be discharged,” he said.
“The patient feels psychologically unsafe if a crucial drug like Remdesivir is not being administered as per the treatment guidelines. The shortage of these drugs leads to delayed treatment and so the discharge is also stretched,” said Dr Dande.
Dr Nandu Kolwadkar, in-charge of Covid at Orange City Hospital, said that a modified treatment of administering two doses of Remdesivir has been formulated in the backdrop of the shortage. “The scarcity of drug like Tocilizumab has led to a hurdle in fighting inflammation,” he said.
“Various kinds of injectables are used for treating Covid but not all are equally easily available. This year our discharge rate has fallen considerably as comparison to last year due to delayed treatment owing to drug shortage,” he said.
Dr Anup Marar, convener of Vidarbha Hospitals Association, said the patients refuse to get discharged until complete doses of drugs like Remdesivir is given. “But the drug is in short-supply,” he said.
In the meanwhile, district collector Ravindra Thakare has suggested the hospitals and doctors not to issue prescriptions for Remdesivir, which is being distributed by his office, and Tocilizumab. He has also urged the oxygen suppliers to first deliver at the Covid hospitals and then to the patients isolated at home.