Indians turn to black market, unproven drugs as COVID-19 surges Toggle share menu
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Indians turn to black market, unproven drugs as COVID-19 surges
FILE PHOTO: People wait in queues outside the office of the Chemists Association to demand necessary supply of the anti-viral drug Remdesivir, in Pune, India. (AP Photo)
29 Apr 2021 08:11PM (Updated:
29 Apr 2021 08:21PM) Share this content
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NEW DELHI: Ashish Poddar kept an ice pack on hand as he waited outside a New Delhi hospital for a black market dealer to deliver two drugs for his father, who was gasping for breath inside with COVID-19.
But the drugs never arrived, the ice that was intended to keep the medicines cool melted and his father died hours later.
Remdesivir Selling for $1K a Vial on India s Black Market as COVID Cases Surge
On 4/29/21 at 10:55 AM EDT
Desperate people in India, where the world s worst COVID-19 outbreak continues to ravage the country, are shelling out thousands for black-market medications in an attempt to save their loved ones lives.
India reported 379,000 new infections on Thursday, according to national data, another global record. That puts India at more than 18 million cases, behind only the U.S., and 200,000-plus deaths.
Indians are turning to the black market for drugs like Remdesivir, which has inflated to $1,000 a vial, 20 times its real value, a youth volunteer told the
People wait in queues outside the office of the Chemists Association to demand necessary supply of the anti-viral drug remdesivir, in Pune, India, April 8. AP
Ashish Poddar kept an ice pack on hand as he waited outside a New Delhi hospital for a black market dealer to deliver two drugs for his father, who was gasping for breath inside with Covid-19.
But the drugs never arrived, the ice that was intended to keep the medicines cool melted and his father died hours later.
As India faces a devastating surge of new coronavirus infections overwhelming its healthcare system, people are taking desperate measures to try to keep their loved ones alive. In some cases they are turning to unproven medical treatments, in others to the black market for life-saving medications that are in short supply.
Ashish Poddar kept an ice pack on hand as he waited outside a New Delhi hospital for a black market dealer to deliver two drugs for his father, who was gasping for breath inside with COVID-19.
Aniruddha Ghosal And Neha Mehrotra
FILE- In this April 8, 2021 file photo, people wait in queues outside the office of the Chemists Association to demand necessary supply of the anti-viral drug Remdesivir, in Pune, India. As India faces a devastating surge of new coronavirus infections overwhelming the health care system, people are turning to desperate measures to keep loved ones alive. (AP Photo, File) April 29, 2021 - 4:40 AM
NEW DELHI - Ashish Poddar kept an ice pack on hand as he waited outside a New Delhi hospital for a black market dealer to deliver two drugs for his father, who was gasping for breath inside with COVID-19.