A specialized medical war room in Bengaluru operating with a 50-member team handles between 15,000 and 20,000 calls per day to streamline the distribution of remdesivir amid intense demand, according to state officials. The facility was established on April 21 following widespread complaints regarding shortages and black marketing of oxygen and antiviral injections across the state.
While families of COVID-19 patients and private medical facilities continue to report severe shortages of the antiviral drug, officials supervising the war room attribute the overwhelming call volume largely to the private sector. According to a senior doctor overseeing the war room operations on condition of anonymity, government-run agencies and private hospital beds taken over by the government account for roughly 85% of the state’s total demand, requiring about 5,000 to 6,000 vials daily. Conversely, the private sector—representing about 15% of the demand—generates up to 20,000 calls a day to the helpline.
Understanding Remdesivir Allocation and Clinical Guidelines
State health authorities emphasize that remdesivir is an antiviral drug intended to interrupt viral replication in patients with moderate illness, rather than serving as a lifesaving medication for all infected individuals. According to the senior war room supervisor, government hospital physicians prescribe the injection only to those who will benefit from the injection, keeping demand stable within public facilities. In contrast, the high volume of inquiries from private clinics and hospitals stems from fear psychosis and prescribing the injection for most patients.
To bring transparency to the distribution process, officials announced that a dedicated website is currently in development. The platform will publish specific records regarding patients who receive the injections alongside their corresponding medical conditions.
Private Hospital Concerns and Supply Deficits
Private medical institutions maintain that despite the establishment of the centralized war room, physical allocations remain insufficient to meet daily patient needs. A hospital administrator in Bengaluru reported receiving only 30 to 50 doses despite a requirement of 100 doses, adding that many helpline calls routinely go unanswered.
Dr. H.M. Prasanna, president of PHANA, stated that while patients referred by the BBMP to private facilities were getting the drug, overall supply allocations to the private sector remain inadequate. Dr. Prasanna noted that private practitioners are demarking the medication for those with moderate symptoms to lower viral loads, yet struggle to secure sufficient inventory from the war room.
Addressing supply constraints, Karnataka Health Minister Dr. K. Sudhakar announced that the state government ordered 70,000 vials of remdesivir. Of that total order, 20,000 vials have arrived in the state, with the remaining stock scheduled for delivery in subsequent days.
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