Page 10 - MGMG Special Issue July - Dec 2020

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Registration No: PMOPG/E/2020/0289524

Date of Filing: 5th April 2020 Date of Redressal: 16th April, 2020

Issue: Non-availability of medicine HCQ (Hydroxychloroquin)
Grievance
Ms. Namita Mukherjee is an academician, working as an Associate Professor at Christ University,
Lavasa and living there in a senior citizen housing of Lavasa. She was diagnosed with Rheumatic
arthritis in January, 2019 and prescribed Hydroxychloroquin (HCQ) by a leading Rheumatologist, of a
Mumbai hospital. She had been taking the drug since January 2019.In July 2019, her doctor had
prescribed her (prescription was attached) to take HCQ 300 for 6 months and then HCQ 200 for the next
6 months before visiting her. However, neither the medicine nor any of its substitute was available in the
market. The aggrieved person had failed to obtain it in more than a month’s search. HCQ drug is
required for Covid-19 patients, however, it is also to be used every day to keep mobility in rheumatic
arthritis patients, said the aggrieved requesting the Hon’ble PM to ensure that the drug HCQ was
available to them to lead a normal life.

Action
The concerned State Drug Controller, Maharashtra was contacted and requested to ensure the
availability of the required medicine to Ms. Namita Mukherjee.
The team from IPCA was also very helpful. They attended to the minutest detail and took care till the
job got completed.

Citizen’s Response/ Satisfaction
She expressed satisfaction and thanked for arranging the medicines for her.

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