As reports of hoarding, black marketing and overcharging of Covid management drugs— remdesivir, tocilizumab, favipiravir and oxygen cylinder continue to pour from across the States, leaving the patients at the receiving ends, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has finally intervened, asking all State and Union territory drugs controllers to provide daily update on enforcement activities to check such nefarious activities.
“In light of present pandemic situation in the country it has been considered necessary to collect the daily information on enforcement activities to prevent black marketing, overpricing with respect to Remdesivir, Tocilizumab, Favipiravir and oxygen cylinder,” said DCGI Dr VG Somani in a letter to all state and UT drugs controllers.
He also asked all zonal, sub zonal offices of DCGI to coordinate with state and UT drugs control authorities in the matter.
In fact, to prevent black marketing of Remdesivir and Tocilizumab, the Delhi Police is already conducting raids after sending decoy customers to the chemist shops and suspected locations after getting the leads. “In a recent meeting, all the fifteen DCPs and units of the crime branch have been asked to take appropriate legal action against the black marketing of the drugs and ensure they are not sold at high prices,” said Delhi Police Spokesperson Chinmoy Biswal.
In this regard, DCP (crime branch) Monika Bhardwaj too shared that several teams of the crime branch are on their toe with the specific task to identify and crack down on interstate gangs or individuals involved in hoardings or looting patients.
She further said that during probes they have come to know about a chain of persons involved in this syndicate of illegal hoarding and supplying of drugs essential for the treatment of Covid-19 patients. We have arrested many also, in this connection, she added.
With a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases in the country, the demand for drugs like tocilizumab, favipiravir, antiviral medication remdesivir and oxygen cylinders has also increased. This, in turn, has led to a shortage of these drugs as well as oxygen cylinder and led to black marketing and overcharging.
Tocilizumab, which is said to reduce Covid deaths, is priced above Rs. 40,000. There is an acute shortage of the drug across the country as Cipla has run out of the stock while Remdesivir, a drug that is being used in emergency to treat critical Covid-19 patients who are hospitalized is also in short supply across the country.
Antiviral favipiravir too is also in short supply. Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd, its manufacturer has assured that it has ramped up production capacity to ensure continuous supply of the drug across the country. Same is the case with oxygen cylinders which are being sold in black market at huge prices as high as Rs 25,000 each unit.