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Maharashtra govt to procure COVID medicines, test kits worth ₹634 crore

The state government will soon procure injections, tablets, and medical equipment worth ₹634 crore for the treatment of Covid-19 infected

patients at government hospitals, for the next six months. The state government has planned to purchase 18 lakh PPE kits, 36 lakh N-95 masks, 80 lakh triple layer masks, 2.55 lakh remdesivir injections and 2.70 lakh packs of 34 favipiravir tablets among other items.

The state government had made the provision of ₹2,028 crore for the health-related expenditure arising out of Covid-19 pandemic in its supplementary demands passed in the two-day monsoon session, held last month. The amount of ₹634 crore has been earmarked by the public health department for the purchases of 12 items including tablets, injections, oxygen, kits required for the Covid-19 tests. The department issued a government resolution (GR) with the break of the quantity and the funds earmarked for the purchase for the stock required until March 2021.

The GR has also mandated the department to follow the set norms issued by the government for the purchase. “The rates specified in the order are estimated and need to be verified from the market to ensure that material is not purchased at high rates. The stock purchased should comply with the technical specification issued by the authorities. The procurement should not be done to benefit any specific company and it should be in accordance with the demand,” it stated.

The inventory includes the purchase of 2.44 vials of remdesivir worth ₹53.31 crore, 2.70 lakh packs of favipiravir worth ₹22.89 crore, 35 lakh RT-PCR kits worth ₹27.44 crore, 60 lakh rapid antigen test kits worth ₹295 crore, 18 lakh personal protection kits worth ₹68.04 crore, 36 lakh N-95 masks worth ₹15.04 crore, 80 lakh triple layers marks of ₹5.2 crore. The remdesivir injection has been priced at ₹2,183 a vial, while the favipiravir pack will cost ₹848 to the government. The RT-PCR and rapid antigen kits cost ₹78 and ₹493 each respectively. PPE kit costs ₹378 each, while N-95 and triple-layer masks cost ₹41.77 and ₹6.50 each respectively.

Funds of ₹100 crore have been earmarked for the refilling of the liquid oxygen costing ₹40,000 per kiloliter, while the allocation of ₹12 crore has been made for the refilling of the jumbo oxygen cylinders costing ₹4.80 lakh each.

Dr Archana Patil, director, health services said that the procurement will be done by Haffkine Institute following set norms.

The stock being procured is meant for the hospitals and clinics run by the state government and municipal corporations. – Hindustan Times

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