Remdesivir sale to be streamlined in Tamil Nadu from May 18

The decision was taken after hundreds of people continued to throng counters in various cities to buy the drug for their relatives or friends

After chaos at counters selling the drug, the Tamil Nadu government on Sunday decided to streamline the sale of Remdesivir by launching a web portal to take requests for the drug from private hospitals directly from May 18.

The decision by CM M K Stalin at a meeting was taken after hundreds of people continued to throng the only five counters across the state to buy the drug for their relatives or friends. A statement issued after the meeting said a dedicated web portal will be launched to take requests from hospitals on the need for Remdesivir for patients.

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Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation (TNMSC) has been selling Remdesivir at the Kilpauk Medical College Hospital (KMCH) in Chennai and at other four locations in the state. However, the sale was marred by over-crowding at the counters and flouting of social distancing and other Covid-19 rules.

To avoid overcrowding, the statement said, Remdesivir should be given to patients on Oxygen support. “The hospitals should upload the request on the web, and once the request is approved, their representative can go and collect the drug,” the statement said.

Though Remdesivir is not part of the treatment protocol released by the state government, doctors continue to prescribe the drug for Covid-19 patients.