The Madhya Pradesh government has begun distributing remdesivir injections through state aircraft in the midst of a huge uproar for the life-saving antiviral drug across the state, which is gripped by the Covid-19 pandemic. On Thursday, the state government responded to the emergency situation by landing 194 boxes containing 9,264 injections at the Indore airport, and from there, choppers were used to move 42 boxes to Bhopal, 7 to Ratlam, and 4 to Khandwa. In addition, the state aircraft was used to transport 19 boxes to Gwalior, 18 to Rewa, 39 to Jabalpur, and 14 to Sagar.
Dr. Pawan Sharma, the divisional commissioner of Indore, said that 57 boxes were stored for the city and that the plane and helicopters would be used to transport these injections to other divisions.
There have since been efforts to crack down on those attempting to benefit from the situation. Four people have been arrested in Indore for supplying false injections, including the director of a Himachal Pradesh pharmaceutical firm.
In Jabalpur, police have apprehended two more people for black marketing. Remdesivir injections are thought to be critical for Covid-19 patients suffering from heavy chest infections. There is a high demand for these shots in the state, especially in pandemic-affected areas like Bhopal and Indore, and pharmacies have seen long lines when supplies have run out quickly.
Jabalpur police arrested three male nurses from private hospitals and a medical official on Thursday for selling four remdesivir injections to families of Covid-19 patients for Rs 77,000 each. The buyers had traveled from Bhopal to Jabalpur to purchase the shots.
As the situation worsened, Congress increased its pressure on the Shivraj Chouhan administration. “Shivraj Ji can not point out a single hospital in MP that has oxygen, injections, and other facilities,” said Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee president Kamal Nath.
In Bhopal, Indore, and Dewas, half of the injections will be given to government hospitals, while the other half will be given to private clinics. Dedicated facilities will be free, while private facilities will be charging a premium, which will be invested in Red Cross accounts. In addition, collectors in Bhopal, Indore, and Dewas have the authority to supply half of these injections. The state government reported that 10,000 doses were received on Wednesday, in addition to the 31,000 doses given until April 13.
