With rising cases, attendants from hospitals say drug shortage

By: Musaib Iqbal MK

Srinagar

Attendants and relatives of covid positive patients have alleged that there is an acute shortage of drugs to treat covid positive patients in all the covid designated hospitals of Jammu and Kashmir.

“They told me to bring all the medicines from the market. When I went out even on the private outlets there was a shortage of these medicines” one of a relative of a covid positive patient told the media.

Despite these complaints and allegations of drug shortage in the hospitals, the authorities are maintaining that they have enough supplies available and are fully equipped to deal with the situation.

The daily cases of covid positive patients are increasing and there is lot of fear and anger among the common people. The government has already imposed section 144 in Srinagar city as it crossed the one thousand yesterday.

News agency GNS in its report about the drug shortage in the covid designated hospitals of Kashmir has said, as relatives of Covid-19 patients continue to report shortage of key drugs like Remdesivir, Jammu and Kashmir does not figure in the interim allocation list of Tocilizumab injections for states and UTs.

Remdesivir is primarily meant for moderately, severely ill covid patients while tocilizumab is given to those who are severely, critically ill.

Even as the officials claim enough supply stock position of the key drugs, reports continue to pour in regarding their non availability in the Valley’s hospitals and pharmacies.

A doctor on the condition of anonymity told GNS that there is already shortage of Tocilizumab and it was surprising that J&K does not figure in the interim allocation list.

“It seems that central government has not been conveyed about the demand of the Tocilizumab by the concerned authorities,” the doctor said and urged the concerned functionaries to express the concerns and ensure adequate supplies amid rising covid-19 cases.

A number of doctors working in COVID19 designated facilities told GNS that both Remdesivir and Toclizumab have been found to be effective in many cases. “We tried to avoid prescribing Remdesivir and Toclizumab injections but other drugs were not found as effective as these two are,” they said, adding, “We have raised the issue with the concerned authorities.”

The doctors said that the relatives of the patients have been continuously reporting that it was very hard for them to manage the drug from market owing to shortage.  Whether there is shortage and such situation is being created by the unscrupulous elements need to immediately checked by the government and action as warranted need to be taken on both counts, they said.

The Drug Controller General of India has designated Remdesivir as an institutional supply only drug in view of the emerging Covid situation and a quota of 10,500 vials per week has been fixed for J&K by GoI, at present, officials said.

However, doctors said that the quota may also be required to get enhanced in view of the emerging “grim situation.”

With inputs from GNS