8k Remdesivir vials have arrived: MP official as cases surge

Amid a surge in coronavirus cases and a clamour for Remdesivir, a drug considered useful in the treatment of the infection, a senior Madhya Pradesh official on Sunday said a sizable batch of the drug has arrived and will be distributed to medical facilities as per requirement.

Several areas in the state are witnessing people queueing up outside medical stores for the drug, with some of them, agitated at not getting it, blocking a road in Indore for a brief while on April 9.

"A total of 4,000 vials have been received in Indore on Saturday. They will be supplied to government medical institutions as per requirement. An additional 4,000 vials have been received for use in private medical facilities," P Narhari, Controller, MP Food and Drug Administration, said on Sunday.

"It expected that 10,000 vials, 5,000 each for private and government hospitals, will be received on Sunday," he added.

Madhya Pradesh recorded 4,986 fresh coronavirus cases on Saturday, its biggest single-day spike, which pushed the infection count to 3,32,206.

The caseload in Indore stands at 77,592, followed by 57,334 in capital Bhopal.