Effectiveness unproven, yet Remdesivir demand skyrockets

TIRUCHY: Aditya* (37) had a tough time during the past two days, as he kept running from pillar to post looking for Remdesivir for his mother, who has been admitted to a private hospital in the city and tested positive for Covid last week. While he managed to get two vials of the drug, he had a tough time getting the other vials. He put multiple posts on social media and contacted every doctor he knew, but to no avail. It was finally the hospital which managed to arrange for the other vials.

While on one hand, the question of whether Remdesivir works or not remains, doctors feel it is pertinent to use it on certain patients with moderate infection. Doctors also say that it is the patient’s family that urges them to prescribe this anti-viral drug, as they have been hearing so much about it. “We still don’t know if Remdesivir really works. We have received guidelines on when to use it, and are using it judiciously. There is a pan India shortage of this drug, not just in Tiruchy.

We expect the situation to ease out in the next couple of days,” says Dr K Govindaraj, Director of Dr G Vishwanathan Specialty Hospitals. Express spoke to a few dealers and stockists in the city, who sell Cipla, Hetero Healthcare drugs. They all had no stock of Remdesivir. “We have been facing a major shortage since the past week. I have had no stock for the past three days. I am expecting stock to arrive tomorrow,” says a dealer. They attribute this shortage to the sudden increase in cases in April and hoarding.

Doctors also urge people to allow them to do their work, and not question them on why certain drugs aren’t being used. Sources say relatives of patients are desperate and willing to pay any price for the drug. The price of a vial has gone up to Rs 20,000 in Tiruchy against the usual Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500,  a patient’s relative says. Hospitals like SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, which have a bed capacity of 200, say they have so far managed to get the drug for their patients.

“There is a short supply. We are giving it only to patients who need it. We were helped by the government when we faced a shortage,” says Dr N Balasubramanian, Dean, SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre. However, sufficient stock is available at government hospitals. Dean of MGMGH Dr K Vanitha says they have sufficient stock and have not faced any problems.

(*Name changed)