Ventilators supplied under PM Cares fund remaining idle in hospitals
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AAA In a time when hospitals are facing a crisis due to an insufficient number of ventilators to treat the COVID-19 patients, many of the ventilators supplied to the government hospitals under the PM Cares fund are remaining idle due to technical problems, unavailability of ventilator connectors and tubings in Kannur and Kasaragod district.
According to sources in the health department, the unavailability of ventilator connectors and tubing manufactured by a company has led to the issue.
The Central oxygen supply has to be connected to the ventilator connector, which comes in cylindrical and hexagon shapes.
Kerala HC refuses to stay Government order reducing the RT-PCR test
May 07, 2021
Court also asks the Centre on the availability of vaccines ordered by the State
The Kerala High Court on Friday declined to stay the government order reducing the charge of RT-PCR test to ₹500 from ₹1,700 in private laboratories.
Justice N Nagaresh observed that
prima facie it appeared that the government had arrived at the rate of RT-PCR test after conducting a market survey through the Kerala Medical Services Corporation Limited.
The court said the government statement filed showed that cost of RT-PCR test, including swab collection would come to ₹135-240 only. Also,in many the other States including Haryana, Telangana, and Uttarakhand the charges were within the same range as that set by the government. Therefore, the court did not find any reason to pass an interim order, the court added.
RT-PCR Covid-19 tests at Kottamaidan in Palakkad. File
| Photo Credit: MUSTAFAH KK
The Kerala High Court on Friday declined to stay the government order reducing the charge of RT-PCR test to ₹500 from ₹1700.
Justice N. Nagaresh observed that prima facie it appeared that the government had arrived at the rate of RT-PCR test after conducting a market survey and study conducted through the Kerala Medical Services Corporation limited (KMSCL).
The court said that it was discernible from the statement filed by the government that cost of RT-PCR test, including swab collection would come to ₹135-240 only. In fact, the charges in many of the other States in the country including Haryana, Telangana, and Uttarakhand were within the same range as that of the price fixed by the government. Therefore, the court did not find any reason to pass an interim order, the court added.
Kerala Drugs and Pharmaceuticals looks to vaccine manufacturers for supply of APIs
May 05, 2021
Vaccine production from company’s manufacturing facility can help address the shortage issue
The State-owned Kerala State Drugs & Pharmaceuticals (KSDP) has approached Covid vaccine manufacturers for getting vaccines in concentrated form in order to fill it in vials.
The company s new non beta-lactam injection plant facility in Alappuzha can be utilised for filling Covid vaccines in vials by making some modifications in the machinery. “We have already contacted Bharat Biotech and the other vaccine manufacturing company in this regard,” highly placed sources told
BusinessLine.
The production of Covid vaccine from KSDP’s manufacturing facility could help address the shortage currently being faced in the State and distribute it evenly to other parts in South India without any hindrances. However, the sources went on to add that it all depends on the availability of concentrat
Express News Service
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Health experts question the wide use of Remdesivir, an anti-viral drug, despite evidence that the drug was not that effective against severe Covid-19 infection. The drug is part of Covid-19 treatment protocol even though the World Health Organisation (WHO) and European Unions have discouraged its use.Despite the evidence, Kerala Medical Services Corporation (KMSCL) and private hospitals have given more orders for stocking the medicine considering the severe shortage witnessed in other states.
“The overall evidence on the effectiveness of Remdesivir for treating Covid-19 is thin. Doctors who go by evidence-based medicine do not recommend the use of Remdesivir,” said Dr N M Arun, internal medicine specialist and a public health expert. However a representative of Indian Medical Association said that the broad-spectrum anti-viral drug has been widely used in several private hospitals.