Tamil Nadu LoP EPS urges PM Modi to raise supply & allotment of Remdesivir, O2 & vaccines

Tamil Nadu's Leader of Opposition Edappadi Palaniswami wrote to PM Modi seeking the allocated amount of medical oxygen, Remdesivir and COVID vaccines to be raised as the state battles the second wave of the pandemic. The former Tamil Nadu CM's letter came as the state logged over 31,000 new COVID-19 cases and 288 deaths in 24 hours, with the demand for hospital beds, oxygen and the Remdesivir drug increasing consistently. In his letter to PM Modi, AIADMK legislator Edappadi Palaniswami highlighted that there was a demand for hospital beds ICU beds & oxygen supported beds in both private and government hospitals and noted that there was a long queue of people waiting at many hospitals across the state for admission. The former CM requested PM Modi to increase the allocated supply of Remdesivir doses and medical oxygen to the state while also seeking a raise in the number of COVID vaccine doses allotted to Tamil Nadu. 

Tamil Nadu's LoP writes to PM Modi

CM Stalin orders Goondas Act against Remdesivir hoarders

Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin on Saturday categorically stated that persons hoarding Remdesivir drug will be detained under the Goondas Act as the state battles the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The newly-elected CM's orders to the police comes in the wake of the arrest of a number of persons for allegedly selling Remdesivir vials in the black market at inflated prices amid a surge in demand for life-saving medicine. CM Stalin noted that similar complaints had surfaced regarding the sale of oxygen cylinders at inflated rates and warned against such activities. 

"I have directed to the police department to take stringent action under the Goondas Act against those who hoard Remdesivir and sell oxygen cylinders at an inflated price," the CM Stalin said. 

Tamil Nadu's COVID situation

Tamil Nadu recorded 31,892 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, including seven returnees from various destinations, pushing the caseload to 15,31,377 while 288 deaths in the last 24 hours took the toll to 17,056. According to a bulletin, 20,037 people were discharged today, taking the tally to 13,18,982, leaving 1,95,339 active infections. With the pandemic raging in the southern state, Tamil Nadu for the first time went past the grim 10,000-mark on April 18, 20,000 on May 2 and 30,000 on May 12.

The state capital accounted for 6,538 new infections, totalling 4,25,603 till date. The metropolis leads also in the number of fatalities at 5,621. The number of samples tested today were 1,60,042, pushing the cumulative number of specimens examined so far to 2,47,85,458. Besides Chennai, Chengalpet added 2,225 cases, Coimbatore 3,197, Kanyakumari 1,025, Madurai 1,250, Thiruvallur 1,410, Tiruchirappalli 1,224 while the remaining districts clocked new infections in triple digits.