`Punjab has sufficient drugs for critical Covid patients`.

LAHORE -- Primary and Secondary Healthcare Secretary retired Capt Muhammad Usman on Monday claimed that Punjab has sufficient stock of anti-viral and other drugs to treat critical patients of Covid-19 at state-run hospitals.

`We have 1,000 life-saving injections in stock for the treatment of critical patients of the virus,` he told Dawn.

He said the stock position of the Punjab Directorate General of Health Services and the hospitals falling under the primary and secondary healthcare department was much better.

`As many as 1,749,710 tablets of hydroxychloroquine are available in the stock of the directorate gen-eral, while 96,251 tablets of the same drug, 12,818 of Azithromycin (500mg),2,920,6800fAzithromycin (250mg), 45,446 tablets of Dexamethasone and 10,973 injections are available at state-run hospitals of the province,` the secretary said further.

Similarly, he said, sufficient quantity of the above-mentioned medicines was available in the private market also.

Mr Usman said 949,260 hydroxychloroquine tablets and 677,014 injections were available in the market as well as the manufacturer`s stock. Similarly, 526,266 tablets of Azithromycin (500mg) and 1,027,057 of 250mg were also available besides other life-saving drugs.

Meanwhile, addressing a press conference the same day, the health secretary cautioned the public and patients that the use of these drugs without prescription of doctors could be extremely dangerous and risky for Covid-19 patients.

He was talking to the media along with convener of the CoronaExperts Advisory Group (CEAG), Prof Dr Mahmood Shaukat.

Mr Usman said the CEAG was closely analysing the international research on Covid-19 treatment protocols and guidelines.

`The anti-viral drug (injections) is an experimental medicine and it is used on very selective serious patients of the virus in state-run hospitals,`thesecretaryexplained, adding that the hoarding of these medicines at homes or business places...