People living Below Poverty Line to get Remdesivir injection free of cost: Assam Government

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Amid the rising number of COVID cases in Assam, the state government has announced that the government would provide Remdesivir injections used as a treatment for COVID, free of cost to people living below the poverty line (BPL).

Speaking to The Sentinel, an official at National Health Mission, Assam said, "In case of treatment of BPL patients, Remdesivir will be provided free of cost."

However, in case of treatment of patients who are above poverty line the cost of the Remdesivir injection have to be borne by the family members of the patient/attendant at the rate of equal rate of procurement of the injection by the NHM, Assam.

"Remdesivir 100 gm injection will cost Rs. 1568, in which Rs. 1400 is the actual cost and GST of 12 percent," the official added.

Meanwhile all the government hospitals in Assam have been directed that amount collected from the Remdesivir Injection have to be maintained separately and cannot be utilized without prior permission/instruction from government.

Further the official said that all the government hospitals of Assam is fully available with Remdesivir Injection and need not to worry.

Earlier, the Health and Family Welfare Department of the Government of Assam made this announcement through an order issued on April 17, 2021.

Remdesivir, an intravenous nucleotide prodrug of an adenosine analogue, forms an important part of the COVID-19 treatment protocol.

Assam on May 10, recorded 77 more COVID-19 deaths have been reported in Assam in the last 24 hours. Of these 77 deaths, 30 have died in the Kamrup-(M) district.

COVID-19 deaths have also been reported from the districts are Kamrup-Rural – 10, Dibrugarh – 10, Bongaigaon – 4, Golaghat, Nagaon, Nalbari, Sivasagar – 3 cases each, Hojai, Tinsukia, Udalguri – 2 cases each, Darrang, Dhubri, Jorhat, Karimganj and Sonitpur registered 1 death each.

Also read: 'Remdesivir allocation made till May 16 across the country'

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