NE NEWS SERVICE
SURAT, APR 6
The Gujarat government has placed an order to procure 3 lakh Remdesivir injections for the treatment of critical COVID-19 patients in the state, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said on Tuesday.
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Remdesivir is considered a key anti-viral drug in the fight against COVID-19, especially in adult patients with severe complications.
On the possibility of imposing a lockdown in the state as suggested by the Gujarat High Court on Tuesday, Rupani said an “appropriate decision” will be taken soon after consulting the government’s core group.
Rupani was in Surat to chair a meeting of senior officials to review the preparedness of the local administration to deal with a sudden spike in coronavirus cases in the city, where over 600 new infections were reported on Monday.
He urged people not to panic in view of an alarming rise in COVID-19 cases in parts of the state.
“The COVID-19 infection has spread further. As much as 60 percent of the cases (in Gujarat) are from four major cities, including Surat.
“And, it seems that cases will increase further. But, people should not panic. People should take necessary precautions to stay safe,” Rupani told reporters after the meet.
“People are complaining about a shortage of Remdesivir. My government has placed an order to procure 3 lakh Remdesivir injections from a Gujarat-based pharma company, which has already started supplying around 20,000 injections every day. There will not be any shortage now,” he assured.
The chief minister said his government has stepped up the vaccination drive as well as testing to curb the spread of the coronavirus infection.
Around 1.2 lakh persons are now being tested for coronavirus across the state daily, while an average 4 lakh beneficiaries are being covered under the vaccination drive per day, said Rupani.
He said Surat will get 300 ventilators, 50 new ”Sanjeevani Rath” (medical) vans and 800 additional beds at Kidney Hospital for coronavirus patients.
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