Ground Report: Most Kolkata shops are yet to get fresh stock of Remdesivir – India Today

Kolkata News

Various states have reported a shortage of Remdesivir drug, which is being used to treat critical Covid-19 patients. Last week, the Centre slashed the price of Remdesivir by nearly Rs 2,000 per injection. The drug will now be sold for as little as Rs 899. However, in Kolkata, most stores that India Today TV visited said their stock was over.

India Today TV conducted a reality check to understand availability of the vital drug in Kolkata.

North Kolkata

In North Kolkata’s Shyambazar, S Poddar, owner of Shyambazar Medical Store, said they don’t have any stock of Remdesivir or Fabiflu.

“It is the same story in most of the medicine stores across the city. Sufficient stock of Remdesivir is not present. Forget about my store, it is not available in most medical stores in the city. The wholesalers, too, don’t have stock,” Poddar said.

He claimed that the demand for Fabiflu started suddenly over the past few months. However, medicines like Ivermectin, Azithromycin, Doxycyclin, which were available, are also witnessing a huge demand in the past two weeks.

(Photo: Suryagni Roy)

Central Kolkata

Another shop, visited by India Today TV in central Kolkata’s Rajabazar area, narrated the same story. Abhijeet Ghosh of Seva Medical, however, claimed Remdesivir was not being sold to retailers but directly to hospitals and nursing homes.

“We never got the supply. Only hospitals were given Remdesivir. We requested the government to sell it to retailers as well. They need to allow the sale of Remdesivir not because of profit or business, but because people are afraid to go to hospitals and buy it,” added Ghosh.

However, he too, claimed that apart from Remdesivir and Fabiflu, there is still a good supply of other medicines, which are being prescribed by doctors to Covid-19 patients.

South Kolkata

India Today also visited a shop named Calcutta Chemist Corner in South Kolkata. The story there too was the same.

“We have the generic medicines but there is no supply of Remdesivir injection. We are getting prescriptions from Covid hospitals but we do not have it. We don’t know when these injections will arrive but what we do understand is that it will directly be sent to hospitals,” said Biman at the store.

Meanwhile, West Bengal recorded nearly 10,000 fresh Covid-19 cases and 46 deaths in 24 hours on Tuesday.

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Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/cities/kolkata/story/kolkata-shops-no-fresh-stock-remdesivir-ground-report-1793269-2021-04-21