The Maharashtra government will procure 10,000 vials of the drug Remdesivir for treating coronavirus patients, Public Health Minister Rajesh Tope said on Saturday, as the number of cases in the state reached 82,968—just over a 1,000 cases below China’s claimed tally of 84,141 cases
Remdesivir was approved for emergency use on June 2, for treatment in a maximum five-period period for suspected or laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19. Maharashtra decided on the deal after receiving an offer on May 28 for 10,000 vials of the drug from Bangladesh-based firm Eskayef Pharmaceuticals as reported by Mumbai Mirror.
The state's health infrastructure has been stretched to the limit as the city of Mumbai faces its biggest crisis since the 1896 plague.
ALSO READ: Hit by Covid-19 and an early monsoon, Mumbai has never seemed so close to the brink
The expensive medicine is being made available for the poor and needy patients in the state, Tope said.
"GoM to procure 10k vials of Remdesivir. Based on evidence from Laboratory, animal and clinical studies, It has generated promising results in MERS-CoV and SARS which are also caused by Corona Virus," Tope tweeted.
"WHO (World Health Organisation) Suggests it may have some positive effects in Covid19 treatment. This expensive medicine is being made available for poor & needy patients," he added.
As of Saturday, Maharashtra had reported 82,968 coronavirus cases and 2,849 deaths, the highest in the country.
“The current count of COVID19 patients in the state of Maharashtra is 82968. Today, newly 2739patients have been identified as positive. Also newly 2234 patients have been cured today, totally 37390 patients are cured & discharged from the hospitals. Total Active patients are 42600,” Tope tweeted.
