Wholesalers under pressure to meet remdesivir demand

Deepankar Sharda

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 28

The huge demand for drugs like remdesivir and tocilizumab, used in Covid-19 treatment, is not only making the life difficult for patients but is also putting a lot of pressure on the attendants and wholesalers dealing in these medicines.

While the attendants running to get the medicines for their patients claim that they are being “harassed” and “made to wait unnecessarily” by the medical shop owners, the wholesalers’ fraternity says the attendants should “act responsibly”.

“There will be no shortage if 10 people stop approaching us for a single patient,” said CJ Singh, owner of Guru Nanak Medicos Limited, Sector 35.

“This is not only stressing the system, but is creating additional pressure on us,” he said.

“The stock shortage is fulfilled every two or three days. Sometimes attendants take the injections, but at the same time hospitals provide them the required medicines. Sometimes people from Haryana and Punjab come here to purchase these vials, creating an unnecessary rush. We can understand that patients are in dire need, but creating such pressure will only worsen the situation,” CJ Singh asserted.

Another wholesaler, Gupta Agencies Pharmaceutical Distributors, Sector 24, said the doctors should set a parameter for prescribing these injections.

“Things need to be streamlined under current circumstances. The doctors should set a parameter for prescribing these injections,” said owner Ankur Gupta.

“Only critical patients should be prescribed these injections,” Gupta insisted.

“Also, the government should provide these injections directly to hospitals,” he added.

‘Unnecessary harassment’

Attendants, coming to purchase these injections, though alleged that they were unnecessarily being harassed by the shopkeepers.

“If there is no supply of injections, why do they (shop owners) ask us to wait for hours in this scorching heat. And if someone argues, they tell him/her to approach the authorities,” claimed Parbhat, an attendant.

“We are already under lot of stress. No one will let his/her patient die. He will make every possible effort to get the medicines,” he added.

Anuj, another attendant, said: “We have been told to bring copies of aadhar card (both patient and purchaser), doctor’s prescription, Covid reports and address proof… instead of smoothening the process, they are making it more complicated. The verification of documents takes hours and then we are told to wait or approach the Drug Controller office. This is sheer harassment.”

Many attendants said the updated stock report should be pasted outside every medical shop to stop black marketing.

“I have witnessed people selling medicines and injections on higher prices. The attendants are told to wait and later someone would approach them with the medicines. The administration should act and appoint officials to stop black marketing,” said Ravi, another attendant.