'No hosp can ask Covid patients' kin to buy Remdesivir from market'

Kolkata: State Health department issued guidelines, stating that no hospital or nursing home could ask the family members of the Covid patients to bring Remdesivir injection from the market. The guidelines asked the hospitals to use Remdesivir injection judiciously. The Health department clearly mentioned in its guidelines that it was the responsibility of the hospitals to ensure the medicine for the patients.

Earlier, Millennium Post on April 24 reported that some private hospitals along with a section of medicine sellers in the city were hoodwinking people by compelling them to buy the medicine from the open market at exorbitant rates. There were many instances in which the private hospitals allegedly asked the patients' relatives to buy the medicine from the market. Many of the family members of the patients were running from the pillar to the post to procure the medicine.

"It must not be sold to patients on prescription and should only be supplied to hospitals by companies or their vendors. All Covid patients do not require Remdesivir. It has been found that roughly around 10-20 per cent of all Covid patients fulfill the criteria to get the medicine," says the guidelines.

The department has clearly mentioned that the medicine should be applied on an emergency basis only.

The Health department also pointed out that Remdesivir has been approved under emergency use authorisation in the management of Covid patients. But, it has been observed that the medicine is being used indiscriminately, triggering an artificial crisis, read the guidelines. The department has also given a detailed outline on the usage and doses of the medicine. The Health department also observed that random use of this drug by the hospitals is 'inappropriate.'