Facing crunch, Bengaluru hospitals decide to give Remdesivir only to priority groups

Most hospitals treating Covid-19 patients have started to use discretion in administering remdesivir as the antiviral drug has become a scarce commodity with many hospitals either managing with lean stocks or having run out of them.

A few mid-segment and corporate hospitals ET spoke to said that they have been trying hard to get some supply, but in vain. “Hospitals need to strictly follow the guidelines on administering it to only moderate to sick patients within the first nine days from the onset of symptoms,” said Dr Ravindra Mehta, chief of pulmonology at Apollo Hospitals, Jayanagar. Mehta and team had done a study on the effectiveness of the antiviral drug on Covid patients during the first wave.

Another doctor from a mid-segment hospital who did not wish to be named, said they may be compelled to take some hard decisions on administering remdesivir to priority groups like severely ill youngsters, if they fail to get supply of the drug in the next few days. “We are running out of stock and have very few vials left,” the doctor said.


According to the Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (PHANA), city hospitals are facing a supply gap of up to 80%. “A small quantity of remdesivir has started coming in the market since Thursday, but it is not sufficient. We are now forced to miss out on some doses to Covid patients under treatment in hospitals,” said PHANA president Dr HM Prasanna.

While the shortage is mostly reported in private hospitals, it has not been an issue at government hospitals. The state government had a stock of about 35,000 doses of remdesivir in its warehouse as of Wednesday. “First, the government had stocked up anticipating a surge in cases. Second, we were also restricting use of the antiviral drug as it is not required to be administered to every Covid patient who is admitted,” a health official said.

With private hospitals seeking the government's help to get the stock, officials have begun talks with manufacturers to step up supply at discounted rates.

There have been reports of remedesivir being sold several times its retail price to desperate patients by black marketers. While the purchase price of the drug per vial on an average is ?2,000-2,800, it is said to have been sold at ?40,000 in some places in Bengaluru and beyond.

Home minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday warned of stern action against “anti-social elements” who are trying to create artificial shortage of the medicine and making a quick buck in the black market. “Cases will be booked against those who are exploiting the crisis,” he warned.