Over 20 Dhanbad hospitals are facing an acute shortage of antiviral drugs like Remdesivir and Fluguard required for treatment of Covid patients.

Black marketing and hoarding of these drugs are some of the reasons for the crisis.

Rajiv Sharma, secretary of Jivan Rekha Trust, which operates at the Asian Dwarkardas Jalan Hospital, said, “We have been facing short supply of these medicines creating difficulties in treatment of patients.”

“These medicines should be supplied in sufficient quantity in all 20 private hospitals of Dhanbad engaged in Covid treatment,” said Sharma who is also the general secretary of Jharkhand Industries and Trade Association.

“As Dhanbad hospitals also cater to the medical requirements of large of number of people in the adjoining districts like Giridih, Jamtara, Godda, Sahebaganj, Pakur, Dumka and even Deoghar, so sufficient quantity of medicines should be provided to hospitals here also and all medicines should not concentrated in Ranchi only,” said Sharma.

Sharma appealed to the state government and local administration to increase the number of hospitals for Covid treatment to reduce the pressure on the 20 centres that are already overcrowded.

Chief executive officer of Pragati Nursing Home, Jai Prakash Khaitan said, “Not only Remdesivir and Fluguard (Flavipir) but we are facing shortage of almost all antiviral drugs.”

Secretary of district unit of Indian Medical Association, Dr Sushil Kumar, said, “Sufficient medicine supply is the primary requirement for treatment of Covid patients and the government must ensure all steps to provide the required medicines to health hubs of Dhanbad also.”

He at the same time said that the unnecessary hype for Remesivir is also leading to its black marketing and illegal hoarding.