Maharashtra: Remidesivir's soaring demand triggers hoarding

The high demand for Remdesivir amid coronavirus pandemic has triggered hoarding and black-marketing of the drug in various districts of Maharashtra. Many cases have emerged where patients in dire need of the drug have received nothing due to its non-availability.

Mumbai: With Maharashtra being the worst-hit COVID state, the demand for anti-viral medication Remdesivir has also soared. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has told ETV India that before September 20, 9,000 injections were being used daily, and since last week, the number has jumped to an average of 21,000 injections a day. The state needs 20,000 to 22,000 injections daily, hence prompting more productions.

Remdesivir is an antiviral drug and it has to be given to the patient through saline in six doses. The absence of the COVID vaccine has prompted healthcare staff to use medication like Remdesivir.

"There are currently 18,000 active patients in Pune. Solapur, Satara and other cities are also demanding this injection. However, only half of the demand is being met," said Sushil Shah, President of the Pune District Chemists Association.

Initially, Remdesivir drugs costed Rs 4,000 but now the price has come down to Rs 2,000. Efforts are underway to reduce the cost of the medication to make it available to the masses.

Health Minister Rajesh Tope had said that efforts are underway to increase the supply of Remdesivir by discussing with the companies manufacturing the drugs. The average cost of injection is 2,400 to 4,800. The patient has to be given a dose of 6 such injections. Only then, the patient's life can be saved. Meanwhile, there are currently 10,800 injections of Remdesivir available. Of this, 30 per cent or 3240 are reserved for Pune city. 30 per cent of the total supply goes to Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, Solapur. The remaining 40 per cent stocks are sent to Ahmednagar, Nashik and Aurangabad districts, sources said.

Around 30,000 injections are being ordered from six companies like Hetro, Cipla, Dr Reddy's, Mylan and two other companies to meet daily demands. The stock of injections is being sent as per the demand of the district. At least 2300 injections are distributed every day in Mumbai, 2100 in Pune, 1078 in Nanded, 1473 in Nashik and 5530 in Thane-Raigad-Palghar. But with this increasing demand for injections, it is becoming clear that critical patients are on the rise and the situation needs to be brought under control.

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Thane

Kalyan-Dombivali Municipal Corporation procured 5,000 injections of Remdesivir and Toklizumab last month. This includes 4,000 injections of Remdesivir and 1,000 injections of Toklizumab. The municipal health department informed us that it is being given free of cost to the patients undergoing treatment in the municipal hospital. It also informed that there is no shortage in Bhiwandi and Ulhasnagar municipal areas as coronavirus cases are under control. These injections are not available in the market. Therefore, one has to run to places like Ghatkopar, Thane, Mumbai to get injections. Earlier, the black market of injections had started in Kalyan, Dombivali, Bhiwandi, Ulhasnagar area. Therefore, ordinary patients are suffering due to expensive injections. Meanwhile, the Thane Crime Branch's anti-ransom squad on July 22 arrested a gang of five people who were involved in black-marketing of Remdesivir injections. The gang was selling a Remdesivir injection costing Rs 3,000 for Rs 25,000 and Acttemara injection for Rs 80,000.

Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad

In Pimpri-Chinchwad, it has been revealed that there is a black market for Remdesivir injections. Remdesivir injections, which has shown effective results on COVID patients, are sold at inflated rates Star Hospital staff. Mustafa Abdul Ghaffar Tamboli has complained to the Nigdi police station. According to him, security guards Vaishnavi Takurkar, ward boy Shahid Sheikh and Vijay Ranjane are being interrogated by the Nigdi police. In this case, the director of the hospital, Dr Amit Wagh has denied all the allegations and told ETV that the incident did not take place at the hospital. Meanwhile, the basic price of Remdesivir injection is Rs 5,400. However, the drug is being sold at inflated prices.

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Shortage of medicines in the rural areas of Pune

In Bhugaon, a Corona patient in the critical condition needed a Remdesivir injection. However, the patients' family did not get these injections in any of the pharma stores in the city. Relatives and friends of the patient visited various pharma stores in the city to inquire about Remdesivir. This is not the first case as many such cases have been reported in the area. Roshan Jain, the owner of a pharma store at Poona Hospital, said many customers are coming every day to demand Remdesivir drugs. But, we cannot give this medicine to every customer as there is no supply. Approximately 1 thousand Remdesivir injections are required daily in Pune. But, in reality, only 200 to 300 injections are available. He said that the demand for this injection is not only from Pune but also from other cities.

Aurangabad

Due to the rapid increase in the number of COVID patients in Aurangabad district, there is a shortage of Remdesivir injections, which are essential for Corona patients. At present, it takes about a thousand injections a month and the supply is low. As a result, patients are complaining of not getting injections on time. District Collector Sunil Chavan has ordered about 7,000 injections so that there is no shortage of Eemdesivir injections. Of these, 5,000 injections will be for Ghati Hospital and 2,000 for District Hospital patients. Although the demand will not be met immediately if the drug is received in phases.

"The problem of timely treatment of patients will be alleviated to some extent," said District Collector Sunil Chavan. Aurangabad currently has more than six thousand active patients. Of these, at least 30 to 40 patients need an injection of Remdesivir every day and at times, demand rises. More than a thousand injections a month are needed here. Due to low supply, patients have to keep looking for injections. This has led to fears of black marketing.

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Kolhapur

Currently, there are three price ranges of this drug - 2800, 4500, and more than 5000. Kolhapur people, who are already suffering from economic hardships, demand Remdesivir available at Rs 2,800. But the availability of the drug in the pharma store determines their fate. Some people are sceptical about the price. The sellers say that they are asking why the price is higher when they are getting Rs 2,800. At present, medicine is available at 32 places in the district, sources said.

Jalgaon

At present, COVID-19 medications are available in abundance in Jalgaon district including District Kovid Hospital along with 6 leading stockists in the district as well as various private hospitals, medicals. As of late night on September 27, there were 1,244 Remdesivir injections available in the district. On September 27, 513 injections were sold, said drug inspector Anil Manikrao. The number of Corona patients in the district is over 47 thousand. More than 250 patients are being treated in the Intensive Care Unit. Critical Corona patients need Remdesivir and tocilizumab injections. Given the growing demand for both these injections, some hospitals in the district, as well as medical drivers, had started looting patients. There were complaints that an injection of Remdesivir was being sold for Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000.