Notify drugs for COVID-19 treatment under Essential Commodities Act: Chhattisgarh CM

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Thursday urged Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan to notify medicines used in the treatment of COVID-19 under the Essential Commodities Act.

In a letter to the Union Health Minister, the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister said: "Due to rise in the coronavirus cases, demands for Remdesivir injection, Ivermectin tablets, Tocilizumab injection, Favipiravir Capsule, Enoxaparin injection and Dexamethasone Tablet have increased in the state, resulting in hoarding and black marketing of these medicines and injections."

The Chief Minister also said that the state government has already taken several measures such as constant monitoring of distribution and use of these medicines in hospitals, constituting a special task force for the purpose, surprise inspection and raids on receiving information of black marketing to stop hoarding and black marketing of these medicines.

"Notifying these medicines and injections under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 will help the state government in not only stopping black marketing but also in ensuring availability and quality of these drugs," he said in the letter.

Mentioning that the Centre had earlier notified surgical and N95 masks and hand stisers under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 which helped in effectively fight with the first wave of the virus, the Chief Minister urged that drugs used in managing and treatment of coronavirus be notified immediately under the Act, keeping in mind the current situation of surge in the coronavirus cases.

As per the Union Health Ministry, there are currently 1,18,846 active COVID cases in the state. As many as 5,70,995 recoveries and 8,061 deaths have been reported so far.

( With inputs from ANI )