Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it - Suan

“ANG bottleneck nganong wala pa tay stock karon kay wala tay Compassionate Special Permit (CSP) so it might be good for us to focus or atoning tutokan or ipa fast track nato kaning pag apply nato’g CSP sa atong syudad. Kung mahimo tagaan ta’g blanket authority sa FDA kay I think it’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.”

This was the point raised by Councilor Lordan Suan in reaction to the special report of Councilor Maria Lourdes S. Gaane regarding JRBGH doctors’ request to secure a CSP for the purchase of 1,000 vials of Remdesivir for critical COVID 19 patients in the city.

Gaane said as far as the CSP is concerned, most Internal Medicine (IM) practitioners and even private hospitals in the city have applied for and already been granted permits.

“According to FDA, dili lisod ang pagkuhaogCSP. Ang problema karon mao ang supply. Tungod kay naay surge saatong COVID 19 cases ang supply nato dili kaabot sa demand sa Remdesivir,” cited the councilor.

There are only three basic requirements for the acquisition of CSP. This includes a Letter of Intent, thenumber of vials in one year (since CSP is only valid for a year), and Proof of Payment and Reports, considering that Remdezivir is an experimental drug, she further said.

Remdezivir is not a drug of choice for COVID 19 but it is for Hep C (Hepatitis C). As far as NMMC is concerned, it will stop the viral replication. Instead of ten days for the virus to replicate, pwede six days na lang pero wala pa gyud evidence nga this is a drug of choice for COVID 19, Gaane added.

Finally, the councilor informed the legislative body that the Department of Health (DOH) is against giving blanket authority as this might lead to the indiscriminate use of Remdesivir.

“Kay kung tagaan nato ang FDA-10 ug basin saka daghan sa CSP, there might be an indiscriminate use of Remdezivir maski mild to moderate cases lang bombahan na dayon sa Remdezivir which will lead to drug resistance eventually kay dili raba ni sya to treat COVID 19,” the councilor explained.