After demand for remdesivir skyrockets, TN govt clarifies that it's not a mandatory drug The State Health Department opened a special counter to sell remdesivir at the Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital on Monday. Since then, hundreds of people have been thronging it. Share Via Email | A+A A- People waiting in a long queue to get Remdesivir at Kilpauk Medical College Hospital in Chennai on Tuesday | Ashwin prasath By Express News Service CHENNAI: After demand for remdesivir, an anti-viral drug that doctors use to treat COVID-19 patients, skyrocketed, the Director of Public Health T S Selvavinayagam in a video message said that people should understand that it is not a life-saving drug and is not recommended as a mandatory drug for COVID-19 treatment by the World Health Organisation.