Tamil Nadu sells Remdesivir at govt hospital to prevent black marketing | Ground Report

The Tamil Nadu government has started selling Remdesivir drug to prevent its black marketing.

The Tamil Nadu government on Monday started selling Remdesivir, an injectable anti-viral drug repurposed for Covid-19 treatment, at the Kilpauk Medical Hospital to prevent its black marketing. The medicine costs Rs 1,565 approximately, including GST. Relatives of Covid-19 patients can buy the drug from the counter of Kilpauk Medical College by showing the doctor's prescription for the drug, Aadhaar card, RT-PCR positive report and CT report of the infected patient. Remdesivir, manufactured by Gilead (US), was initially developed to treat hepatitis and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The US Food and Drug Administration approved Remdesivir as the first drug to treat Covid-19 on October 28 last year. However, Indian authorities have claimed that Remdesivir is not a "life-saving" drug.According to the guidelines of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Remdesivir should be used for patients who have to depend on external supply of oxygen and to improve the condition of their lungs.