DW BUREAU / PATIALA Referring to the advice given by the Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Punjan Husan Lal in view of the impending shortage of important vaccines being used for the treatment of critically ill COVID patients admitted in Level-2 and Level-3 health care facilities in the state, Deputy Commissioner of Patiala Kumar Amit has appealed to the doctors of the district to prescribe alternative medicines available in the market. He said that the expert group headed by Dr KK Talwar, Advisor, Health and Medical Education, had also recommended the prescription of Inj. Itolizumab and Inj. Dexamethasone for critical COVID patients as these are equally effective to that of Inj. Tocilizumab-400 mg. He said as per the reference given in the letter, as the Inj.Tucilizumab-400 mg was not manufactured in India and its availability in our country is also low, so we should opt for the other drugs available in the market for treating critical COVID patients. Meanwhile, Civil Surgeon Dr Satinder Singh in a letter written to IMA Patiala and private hospitals, has advised that as we have shortage of Inj. Remdesivir and Inj. Tucilizumab, so they should prescribe alternative medicines till then. Kumar Amit, District Magistrate-cum-Deputy Commissioner, also appealed to the residents of the district to strictly follow the instructions of the health experts and the government to avoid the contagion of the Coronavirus. He said that the district administration and health department was on round the clock for treatment and care of COVID patients, but we should also support the state measures to curb the spread of the pandemic by staying ourselves to home. (editor@dailyworld.in)