MUMBAI: Maharashtra BJP senior leader Eknath Khadse on Tuesday claimed that former party MP Haribhau Jawale died as much-needed Remdesivir injection was not made available in time.
The former MP from Jalgaon in north Maharashtra died at a private hospital here earlier in the day.
He was 67.
"The much-needed vials of Remdesivir injection (100 mg) were not made available in time. Hospital authorities had even written a letter to the Drug Controller General of India on June 12 requesting supply of the medicine, but the first supply was received only on June 14. However, it was too late by that time and Jawale died today," the former minister said.
Khadse, who hails from Jalgaon district, said he had received a positive response from state health minister Rajesh Tope and government officials who speedily processed the documents for Jawale, "but our efforts failed to save him".
Jawale was currently the district head of the BJP in Jalgaon.
India's drug regulator had on June 1 granted US pharma giant Gilead Sciences marketing authorisation for its drug remdesivir, being touted as a potential treatment for COVID- 19, in the country.
On June 13, the Union Health Ministry, in its revised 'Clinical Management Protocol for COVID-19', recommended the use of remdesivir under emergency use authorisation on patients with moderate disease -- that is those on oxygen support.