The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has issued a show-cause notice to three private hospitals for allegedly asking families of COVID 19 patients to arrange Remdsivir injection. The civic body has already all the hospitals treating COVID 19 patients to arrange Remdesivir injection through the collector office and do not ask the family of patients.
In order to check the black-marketing of Remdesivir injection, the civic body put the onus of making arrangement of Remdesivir injection on hospitals.
While instructing the hospitals under the NMMC area to ensure that the use of Remedisivir injection, which is beneficial for COVID patients with severe symptoms, is as per the guidelines given by the Maharashtra State Task Force as well as ICMR. Abhijeet Bangar, the municipal commissioner had issued a special order directing that no hospital should give prescription to the patient or the relatives of the patient as it is the responsibility of the hospital to procure the required supply of Remedisivir injection through the Collectorate. He also warned of strict action would be taken against the hospitals in case of any violation.
“Asking the patient's relatives to manage the injection can only increase the anxiety of their relatives. Similarly, prescribing Remedisivir injection to the relatives of the patients does not rule out the possibility of black market of the injection in view of the low availability,” said a senior civic official.
The Municipal Commissioner issued the show-cause notice Sunshine Hospital at Sector 16 in Nerul, Siddhika Nursing Home in Sector 15 in Koparkhairane and Om Gagangiri Hospital in Sector 18 at Koparkhairane for asking the relatives of the patients to bring Remdesivir injection. “If their reply of the show-cause notice is unsatisfactory, the hospitals will be charged under the Indian Penal Code as well as the Infectious Diseases Control Act,” said the official.