Remdesivir to be sold directly to TN pvt hosps

Remdesivir to be sold directly to TN pvt hosps

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai:17.05.2021

After milling crowds at remdesivir sales counters opened at six places in government hospitals across Tamil Nadu sparked fear of turning into super-spreaders, the state government has decided to sell the anti-viral drug directly to private hospitals treating patients from Tuesday, and not to the family and friends of the infected. The decision was taken at a review meeting chaired by chief minister M K Stalin on Sunday.

A new online portal will be launched on Tuesday through which private hospitals can register their requirement, a press release said.

‘Hospitals required to submit records of patients in need of O2’

Health minister Ma Subramanian said, “Hospitals will be asked to submit medical records pertaining to oxygen-dependent patients. After going through the documents, Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation will approve remdesivir vials. Hospital representatives can collect them from sale depots.”

A K Ravikumar, state secretary, Indian Medical Association (IMA), said once the changes come into effect, government should not prioritise bigger hospitals (with 100-beds or more) and provide the drug to all Covidempanelled hospitals based on a common waiting list. Or else, the government can collect a weekly or15-day indent from private hospitals and supply the required quantity upfront. In order to monitor usage, hospitals can be asked to return used vials and upload patient details before making request for the next batch (as it is done for supplying vaccines), he said.

Health authorities said that they will continue to monitor private hospitals to ensure they administer remdesivir only to eligible patients and the drug is sold only at the price fixed by the government.

Though remdesivir is recommended only for severe cases, some private physicians are recommending it to all patients thereby increasing the drug’s market demand. This has led to hoarding and black marketing of the drug. Chennai police arrested people for trying to sell a vial for ₹15,000 to ₹35,000 last week.

The government has promised to take legal action against those who sell it at exorbitant rates and prescribe it without necessity, the press release said.