Punjab faces shortage of life-saving injections for coronavirus patients

Life of terminally ill coronavirus patients in Punjab is in huge danger due to the shortage of lifesaving injection for critically ill coronavirus patients and is in limited stock in both private and public hospitals of Punjab.

According to details, in Punjab Lahore and Rawalpindi have become a hot bed for coronavirus cases due to the carelessness of the public but their lives are now in even more danger since due to poor planning of Punjab Government due to the shortage of life-saving injection Acterma.

The Punjab government has approved the use of Actemra, a life-saving drug, for treating critically ill Covid-19 patients. The 400mg injectable drug, an interleukin-6 inhibitor which goes by the generic name of tocilizumab, is prescribed to the patients who develop lung complications and an abnormal level of IL-6 in the blood. The IL-6 is an endogenous chemical which causes inflammation. The price of each dose of the drug (injection) is Rs60,000 and it is being given twice to patients under treatment at an Intensive Care Unit in a life-threatening condition.

This revelation is contrary to the government's claims of having enough resources for treating patients but the shortage of highly effective injection points towards poor resource management and lack of planning.

According to sources, despite the injection is very effective in saving the lives of critically ill patients, no timely action was taken by the Drug Regulatory Authority to ensure the availability of the injection. It is pertinent to note that the coronavirus cases in Pakistan have crossed over 80,000 with more than 29000 cases only in Punjab that includes 570 deaths. These cases have increased sharply since the Eid-ul-Fitr.