Mumbai's civic hospitals begin use of Tocilizumab in severe coronavirus cases; 30 of 40 patients show drastic improvement

Mumbai: Multiple hospitals which come under the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have started using a new drug to treat patients who have been severely affected due to COVID-19. [caption id=“attachment_8263411” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AP[/caption] BMC medical college hospitals, Sion, Nair, KEM and Seven Hills have started using the Tocilizumab injection, according to a release by the municipal corporation. So far the drug has been used on approximately 40 COVID-19 patients, who were severely affected, and encouraging results have been seen in more than 30 patients, with 14 patients having already recovered and discharged from the hospital, according to BMC. This medicine has improved the condition of the patients and has prevented patients from being put on ventilators and hastened their recovery. The drug, Tocilizumab, has been used based on the experiences of many physicians and hospitals world over. Out of three patients from Dharavi, who have been administered this drug, one male patient aged 38 years was discharged from Nair Hospital on Tuesday. Maharashtra with 23,401 confirmed COVID-19 cases is the worst-affected state by the infection in the country. However, 4,786 patients have also been cured and discharged as of Tuesday morning, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.