Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin launched the direct sale of anti – viral Remdesivir to private hospitals on Wednesday. Stalin launched the direct sale of the drug to hospitals at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium sale centre here and in the first phase, 960 vials of Remdesivir have been given to 25 hospitals.

Nearly 343 hospitals have registered themselves in the state portal, tnmsc.tn.gov.in; days after the Government said information on Covid – 19 patients on oxygen support, who require Remdesivir, should be uploaded for supply of the drug, said official release. Hospitals that have provided information on patients who need the medicine were 151 and Remdesivir was being allotted to such facilities.

The Government had said Remdesivir would be made available from May 16^th directly to private hospitals to avoid overcrowding in places designated for its prescription based sale by state authorities to the kin of Covid – 19 patients. Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation supplies the drug to Government hospitals.

According to the press release, drug would be provided to hospitals located in several regions of Tamil Nadu through the sale depots in Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore, Salem, Tiruchirapalli and Tirunelveli.