Prepare plan to ensure there is no shortage of Remdesivir injections: Delhi CM to officials

Remdesivir helps shorten recovery time for patients hospitalised with the coronavirus disease, and is being used in combination with other drugs in the treatment of COVID-19 symptoms.

Kejriwal also said there is no dearth of hospital beds in Delhi as around 5,000 beds are unoccupied.

During a review meeting on the coronavirus situation, the chief minister acknowledged that there has been a shortage of Remdesivir injections in the city.

He directed officials to prepare an action plan to ensure availability of Remdesivir injections and prevent its stocking, according to a statement.

The government expects that 18,000 injections will be available in Delhi by April 18.

Amid reports of shortage of Remdesivir in some states, the Union government has ramped up production and supply, and has decided to reduce the cost of the drug.

Kejriwal said the Delhi government has been focusing on increasing bed capacity and that government and private hospitals should take over more facilities. The bed capacity will increase by 900 if two MCD hospitals - Hindu Rao and Swami Dayanand Hospital – are declared "fully COVID", he said. ''There should be full cooperation and no politics on the matter. The Delhi government will provide every possible help to these MCD (municipal corporation of Delhi) hospitals, including funds,'' Kejriwal said.

The chief minister said the helpline numbers of hospitals, also mentioned on the Delhi government's app, should remain fully functional. Hospitals must make people available 24x7 for providing assistance through helpline numbers, he said. "Also, all hospitals should ensure flow of information on the real-time availability of beds. This data should be updated every day," Kejriwal said. The Delhi government has also requested the Centre to increase the number of COVID-19 beds in central government-run hospitals to 2,700. "It will further increase the COVID bed capacity in Delhi to around 20,000," the statement said.

Health officials also apprised the chief minister that vaccine stock is available for the next six to seven days.