Pune: No shortage of drugs for COVID-19 treatment, officials say

There are ample stocks of various drugs required for the treatment of coronavirus infection in the Pune district, an official from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said here on Thursday.

In view of rising cases, FDA officials have asked hospitals in the city to stock up on necessary quantities of medicines in the light of experience of the previous waves of the pandemic, he said.

"There is sufficient stock of eight different drugs which are needed in the treatment of COVID-19 patients in Pune district," said Shyam Pratapwar, FDA joint commissioner.

As to Remdesivir, a key anti-viral drug which was in short supply during the second wave, over 25,000 vials are currently available in the market in the city, he said.

There are also about 135 vials of Tocilizumab injections in the market, Pratapwar added.

Dr Ashok Nandapurkar, district civil surgeon, told PTI the the district health department has a stock of over one lakh vials of Remedsivir while Tocilizumab procurement was in the process.

"We are ensuring that government hospitals will not face any shortage of drugs," he added.

Pune district on Thursday recorded 3,648 new coronavirus infections and four deaths including three in the city.

The number of active cases is 10,770, of whom 905 are currently in hospital.

Published on: Friday, January 07, 2022, 09:38 AM IST