Ahmedabad: Desperate remdesivir run, despair for hundreds

AHMEDABAD: Sameer Patel, a resident of Anand, had driven from the milk town to Ahmedabad on Sunday morning on his bike. “My cousin is in hospital and none from his family could arrange for remdesivir. Thus, I decided to help them and stand in queue,” said the youth. “But despite waiting here for over three hours, all I could get was a token number, which might or might not work on Monday.” He then prepared for the return journey in the scorching heat of Sunday afternoon.
Hundreds braved the heat and serpentine queues on Sunday, hoping to get the drug from Zydus Hospital.However, only 700-odd of the over 2,000 who had gathered outside the hospital could get remdesivir injections, according to sources. The hospital authorities could not be contacted despite several attempts.
The hospital had announced that the distribution will take place from 8.30am to 5.30pm. But by 11am, the stock was already exhausted and the city police were called to control the crowd. However, people continued to visit the hospital, inquiring about the arrival of fresh supply even as the authorities put up a board saying ‘out of stock.’
Several relatives also raised concerns about the crowding sans social distancing and mask protocols.
The struggle for remdesivir played out in the city when CM Vijay Rupani in Patan claimed that 2.8 lakh injections of the antiviral drug had been distributed over the past 10 days. He also said that the order for 3 lakh more injections had been placed. Of the total, 50,000 injections will be provided to Ahmedabad whereas three other major cities will get 25,000 each.
On Saturday, the Drugs Controller General of India wrote to Food and Drugs Control Administration commissioners of various states including Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. The letter was about the shortage of remdesivir and instructed ‘immediate remedial action to ensure supply of remdesivir injections to public and private hospitals.’
“I was in the queue at the hospital on Saturday and the stock ran out. I came back again,” said Gaurang Patel, a resident of Ghatlodia. “I will have to come back on Monday if I want to help my family procure six injections which have remained elusive for the past three days.”
Patel added: “It’s a matter of life and death for the patients. Why can’t there be a better system of distribution and procurement?”