Raigad Collector Nidhi Choudhari on Tuesday released a video appealing to medical practitioners in private and government hospitals in the district to follow the protocol while recommending Remdesivir injection to COVID-19 patients.
“Along with the second wave of the novel coronavirus, we have a new challenge: a shortage of the Remdesivir injection. I am not a medicine expert, but I appealed only with the knowledge about the Centre’s protocol and the WHO’s solidarity clinical trial,” she said.
Ms. Choudhari said as per the WHO’s solidarity trial, the injection made a difference only in clinical assessment and had no effect in reducing mortality or the infection. “The task force treatment protocol of the State stipulates that the injection should be used only in the patients on oxygen support, and it has to be administered within five days of treatment,” she said.
The Collector further said that the injection shouldn’t be recommended blindly. “Rampant recommendation has led to a shortage in the State and black marketing. The demand should meet the supply and for that it is necessary that the doctors use other life-saving methods like steroids and anti-virus medicines,” she said.
Ms. Choudhari told The Hindu on Wednesday that her appeal had worked as after the video was circulated only the patients who actually required were being recommended the injection. “Currently, the district has around 320 vials of the Remdesivir injection for the 60 private hospitals and 1,200 vials for around 22 government facilities,” she said.
