Punjab to get 35,000 Remdesivir injections over next week: Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu

Chandigarh, May 8

Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said on Saturday the state will receive 35,000 Remdesivir injections from the Centre over the next week.

He further said the state’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has set up a Remdesivir Injection Monitoring Centre to stop its black marketing.

As per an intimation received from the Centre, Punjab will receive 35,000 Remdesivir injections from May 9-16, he said in a statement.

He said at present, the Health Department has 4,913 Remdesivir injections, 60,000 Dexamethasone 4 MG injections and 25 lakh tablets of paracetamol in the stock.

The Centre allocated 50,000 injections for distribution in Punjab from April 21 to May 9 while the state received 41,056 vials, he said.

The minister said 20,450 injections were distributed among the government-run COVID care centres and medical colleges while 20,606 were given to the private centres.

The health minister said the state government has constantly ensured the supply, availability and distribution of injections to government and private hospitals and urged people not to buy Remdesivir at high prices as the Health Department has the sufficient stock of it.

He also expressed concern over the black marketing and hoarding of COVID-related drugs.

The minister said he has directed the FDA to take stringent action against wholesalers, distributors and retailers if anyone found doing such activities.

Sidhu instructed the FDA to monitor the prices and stocks of COVID-related drugs across the state and act promptly against the sellers who violate the guidelines. — PTI