Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Friday ordered the Maharashtra government to spell out if it would be making the mandatory drugs for treating Covid patients available directly at hospitals, isolation and quarantine centres.
A bench headed by Justice Kamalkishor Tated was dealing with a PIL filed by an NGO - All Maharashtra Human Rights Welfare Association, highlighting the shortage of important medicines for treating Covid patients.
The NGO through its counsel Prashant Pandey highlighted the fact that the mandatory drugs for treating COVID-19, Remdesivir and Actemra, are available only at a few chemists and not all the patients could avail the same instantly.
"These drugs have to be procured from medicals at higher rates, which are beyond the maximum retail price. We urge this court to direct the authorities to make available these medicines at the hospitals, itself so that much time of the patients is saved," Prashant told the judges.
The bench then ordered government pleader Poornima Kantharia to clarify the state's stand on the issue by October 2, the next date when the matter would be heard.
