Remdesivir shortage amid COVID second wave: Here are some steps taken to tackle the issue

With a growing demand for Remdesivir, the Centre has stepped up its efforts to tackle the issues of shortage. Several states have reported concerns over the growing shortage in Remdesivir stocks and reached out to the Centre. The Centre has therefore taken stock of the situation. Here are some measures taken by the Centre.

Measures taken by govt to address Remdesivir shortage

Remdesivir production ramped up to 74 lakh

The Centre has ramped up Remdesivir production from 38 lakh vials per month to 74 lakh vials per month as several states in India continue to report a surge in the daily cases of COVID-19. On Wednesday, the Centre has decided to allocate the supply of Remdesivir to 19 states and Union Territories with 'high burden' cases.

Additional manufacturing sites approved 

In a bid to scale up production, the government has also given a green light and approved over 20 additional manufacturing sites where the drug will be produced. 

Remdesivir export prohibited

Moreover, focusing on domestic requirements, the government has also ensured that Remdesivir is not exported abroad. In a government circular, it stated that the export has been prohibited as of April 11. Instead, domestic supplies will be stocked up. 

Import of Remdesivir made duty free

Meanwhile, Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday stated that imports of Remdesivir Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API), injection, and specific inputs have been made import duty free due to the high demand in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic. 

Concerns around Remdesivir

However, the growing demand for Remdesivir amid the COVID-19 pandemic has also sparked discussions across the country. Health officials and professionals across India have opined that Remdesivir is not a 'bullet magic drug' or a 'life-saving drug'. Regardless, they have also commented that the drug proves to be useful against replication of COVID-19 contagion in the body of an infected person. Doctors recommend Remdesivir as it gets a person out of danger by reducing the number of days spent in the hospital. In order to tackle the virus, doctors are also prescribing mild medicines for recovery. 

India records 2,95,041 Cases In Single Day

The single-day rise in new coronavirus infections inched closer to 3 lakh pushing India's total tally of COVID-19 cases to 1,56,16,130, while the death toll increased to 1,82,553 with a record 2,023 daily fatalities, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday.

A total of 2,95,041 fresh infections were registered in a span of 24 hours, while the active cases crossed the 21-lakh mark, the data updated at 8 am showed. Registering a steady increase for the 42nd in a row, the active cases have increased to 21,57,538, comprising 13.82 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has dropped to 85.01 per cent.

Image Credits: PTI