Maharashtra livid at Centre’s new rules for Remdesivir quotas

IANS

Mumbai, 22 Apr 2021: The ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government has slammed the Centre over its new allocation norms for the critical Remdesivir injections by allotting Maharashtra just 26 thousand vials per day against the state’s requirement of at least 50 thousand daily.

 

Taking umbrage at being allotted only 26,000 injections daily, Minorities Affairs Minister Nawab Malik said that considering the serious Covid-19 situation in the state, the Centre should provide at least 50,000 vials daily to combat the scourge.

 

“Maharashtra requires 50,000 injections per day, which our government has been demanding. So far, we have been receiving only 36,000 injections per day. According to the new allotment, the state will get only 26,000 injections per day and this will create further crisis in the state,” warned Malik, who is also Nationalist Congress Party’s National Spokesperson.

 

Housing Minister Dr. Jitendra Awhad targeted the Centre demanding to know why the state was getting such a low allotment of Remdesivir injections considering the huge requirements here.

 

“Central government has decided to take over the distribution system of Remdesivir. Is it testing tolerance?” Awhad demanded.

 

Concurring, Health Minister Rajesh Tope said that the state will get only 26,000 per day for the next 10 days though its requirement is double, and he would write to the Centre for giving more injections to the state.

 

Presently, Maharashtra’s Covid-19 case tally shot above the 4-million mark to touch 40,27,827 and the death toll is 61,911, besides a staggering 695,747 ‘active cases’.

 

As per the latest projections based on current trends, prepared by the state Public Health Department, the Covid-19 situation is likely to worsen dramatically over the next 10 days as the government grapples with shortages of isolation beds, oxygen beds, ICU beds, Ventilators, Remdesivir, medical oxygen and other treatment requisites.