Remdesivir must be available -Cabanlas

“WHAT is important here is we should have this medicine available.”

This was stressed by Councilor Edgar S. Cabanlas during the City Council regular session Monday presided over by Vice Mayor Raineir Joaquin V. Uy, as he testified his experience on the healing effect of Remdesivir. He said many patients are willing to pay and purchase Remdesivir but it is not available in the City.

It may be recalled that Councilor Cabanlas was confined for 10 days in a private hospital in the city after testing positive for COVID 19. He said the drug was not available so his family had to secure it outside the city.

Councilor Cabanlas expressed gratitude to the City Council committee on health and health insurance chaired by Councilor Gaane for its immediate response to his call for the purchase of Remdesivir.

“I know daghan sa atong patient mopalit sa ilang kaugalingon ang importante nga naa. Unsaon mana ang kwarta kung wala kay mapalit?,” Cabanlas pointed out.

Cabanlas said Remdesivir must be available in all hospitals since it is now the primary medicine that several doctors have recommended for severe COVID-19 cases.

“Ang ato lang nga there must be available kay mao kining ginaresita sa doctor kung mosulod kana sa hospital,” he stressed.

Remdesivir is an anti-viral medication originally developed to treat Hepatitis C. At the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was authorized for emergency use.

Cabanlas also expressed his gladness for the ongoing procurement process of the city and for efforts to secure Compassionate Special Permit (CSP) from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to purchase 1,000 vials of Remdesivir.

“We don’t need a million vials or 100,000 vials, just a few thousand vials because sa mga 100 nga ma COVID gamay ra man masulod sa hospital kay ang uban asymptomatic man,” Cabanlas said.

As to its medical efficacy, Cabanlas said Remdesivir will at least help heal severe patients.

“It will help to make you feel healthy because of the psychological effect that the necessary medicine that was asked by the doctor was given to you,” he manifested.

“The need for Remdesivir is not that huge but what is important is that there should be available pagsulod sa hospital aron ma-dapatan niana,” Cabanlas said.