Don't Overcharge For Remdesivir: AP Minister

Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Raj Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy today warned all the sellers of Remdesivir injections, crucial for the treatment of Covid-19, against selling the same at high prices to desperate customers.

Speaking to the media, the minister also warned the healthcare facilities of the state that those facilities found to be violating the Covid-19 safety norms and not uploading the relevant details of their operations online would be blacklisted.

He expressed his annoyance at the hospitals of the state over reports that Covid-19 patients had complained about the sky-high treatment costs being charged by some hospitals.

"Some hospitals are charging anything between Rs 20,000 and Rs 60,000 for Covid-19 treatment. We have already issued orders to all the district Collectors to book cases against all those who are selling the Remdesivir injections for more than Rs 2500 and to cancel their licenses. We will not tolerate any irregularities by the Covid-19 hospitals either. We will remove all the offending hospitals from the list of hospitals included in the Aarogyasri cashless healthcare scheme," Reddy asserted.

"We are doing all we can to support the state's healthcare sector. Our government is working to make testing facilities more effective, and is providing medical oxygen to the healthcare facilities as well," he added.

Addressing the steep increase in the number of cases in AP, the minister also said that the Jagan government was taking steps to transform some engineering colleges into Covid-19 treatment centres and added that the relevant orders had already been issued.

He also urged the owners of commercial establishments to voluntarily came forward and shut down their establishments temporarily.