TN Private Hospitals Involved in 'Illegal Purchase of Remdesivir'? : Agents sell the drug for ‘Three Times the MRP’ –Exposed!

Remdesivir, the anti-viral drug which is being sold only to hospitals in Tamil Nadu to help those affected by the coronavirus infection is being sold for three times its price.

The drug which is priced between Rs.3000 and Rs.5000 plus GST is being sold for Rs.12,500 to Rs.13,000 in the black market. While there is adequate stock of the drug in government hospitals, there is a shortage in the private facilities. According to a report released by the Times of India, several ‘agents’ are working to distribute this drug to those in dire need. According to TOI, several doctors are also referring desperate patients to these agents who are over-pricing the medicine.

The Director of TN drugs control development, K Sivabalan said, “The drug has not reached the retail marker. It is only available with government or private hospitals. This is totally false as the stock itself is limited. We have a strong force and we haven’t received a single complaint. In TN it is not available in the black market. However, we will take action based on specific instances.”

Despite the statements of Sivabalan, TOI conducted an operation. They contacted an ‘agent’ in Madurai and he told them that he could courier the drug to any part of the country in any needed quantity. Further, TOI also acquired photographs of the drugs he had along with the address of his agency.

Another agent from Coimbatore said the same. Both the agents revealed that private hospitals are their customers. CN Raja said, “Even doctors are unable to procure it but these agents are getting it. A doctor in Madurai informed me that the drugs Remdesivir and Tocilizumab are easily available in the black marker so I decided to check and called an agent. He told me if I sent him the Covid positive test report and Aadhaar copy of the patient, he would courier the drugs immediately. The government should put an end to black market sales immediately and take measures to make the drug available at MRP.”

A resident of Trichy who was looking to purchase the drug for his relative said, “Initially the hospital asked us to buy the drug on our own. When we couldn’t, the hospital got it. We were asked to pay a total of 1.40 lakh for three days as expenses.”