CHENNAI: Police personnel and people gathered to buy Remdesivir engaged in arguments outside Chennai’s Nehru stadium late on Sunday night as over 300 assembled in anticipation of counters opening at the stadium in the morning.
They were unaware of the government's latest order, earlier in the day, to supply the drug directly to private hospitals.
The public, who gathered outside the stadium, were asked to disperse by the police through public address system as officers explained the new arrangement to them.
"Some 300 people gathered to stand in the queue unaware of the new system. They were informed over the public address system," said V Balakrishnan, Joint commissioner of Police, East.
The State government on Sunday announced that the antiviral drug will directly be given to hospitals from Tuesday onwards. This comes after warnings from health experts on overcrowding at the places designated for purchasing Remdesivir drug in Chennai and other places.
A new portal would be launched soon through which the private hospitals will be allowed to purchase Remdesivir directly from the sales centres, said the government in a statement.
At around 10 pm, people started to gather around Nehru stadium with vehicles parked on the Vepery road. The crowd stood without social distancing and extended for about 600 meters, occupying the road. Based on the information by the Periamet police inspector on the ground, the police high command had ordered the cops to disperse the crowd.
"We diverted several armed reserve personnel from different places in case there is a stampede. The officers were instructed to explain to the crowd about the newly announced system and to make them understand that the distribution has been stopped in the Nehru stadium," said a senior police officer.
The crowd had gathered to collect the vials, used in treating moderately ill COVID-19 patients, for their sick kith and kin. Police said that people had come to stay the night so as to get vials as soon as the counter opens on Monday.
Many having already received tokens to buy the drug at the counter, demanded that the government provide them with the vials as they had been waiting since yesterday.
Senior police officers reached the spot to diffuse the situation but were faced with anxious questions as to how people, who were supposed to get the vials on Monday, could leave. Some people were waiting to buy the medicine for multiple family members who were sick.
"It seems they did not know about the government announcement. So with the public address system, the senior police officers explained to the public and asked them to disperse," said another police officer.
The officer added that it was hard to console a few people since they had travelled from far off places to buy the drug. The officers also attended to queries of the people. "I told them even frontline workers and police are not privileged to get vials as we wish. Even our family members are waiting in the queue everyday after we go for duty," added an inspector of police.