Odisha Govt Forms Expert Panel On Use Of New Drugs For COVID-19 Treatment

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has constituted an expert committee for taking decision on the use of Tocilizumab and other new drugs for treatment of COVID-19 patients.

In a letter to district collectors, municipal commissioners, CDMOs and superintendents of medical colleges in the state, additional chief secretary, Health and Family Welfare department PK Mohapatra said as the number of COVID cases is increasing day by day in the second wave of the pandemic, the government is keen on providing the appropriate treatment to the patients to reduce the mortality as well as morbidity.

There are certain drugs available for COVID management which have restricted availability and also there are many newer drugs coming up with uncertain efficacy. Many physicians and critical care specialists sometimes recommend those.

In view of’ the above, an expert committee has been constituted to examine and assess the proposal of use of such drugs on case to case basis under the supervision Of DMET.

The committee will have Dr Bidyut Das, Professor, Rheumatology, SCB MCH Cuttack as chairman and Dr Jyoti Patnaik, Professor Pulmonary Medicine, SCB MCH and Dr PK Thatoi, Associate Professor, Medicine, SCB MCH will be members.

The committee has been assigned the following responsibilities:

1. When any prescription is made for a Covid patient in a Covid facility with such newer and restricted available drug, the prescription shall come as a proposal to seek opinion regarding the judicious use of the drug. Such proposal shall be sent to the Chairman of the Committee with an intimation to DMET, Odisha and MD OSMCL.

2, The requisition will be accompanied by following documents:
a. ID proof
b. Prescription of the treating doctor
c. Case sheet along with the investigations done

3. The committee will examine the records and certify the efficacy of the drug as well as the judiciousness in use in the particular case. If considered for use. the recommendation shall be made to MD OSMCL.

4. After obtaining such recommendation, OSMCL will issue the drug as per
the availability