Centre Allocates 45000 Vials of Tocilizumab To All States

New Delhi: While people across India are struggling with the Covid surge, the central government has decided to allocate additional 45000 vials of Tocilizumab to all the states and union territories to meet its demand.

Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers DV Sadananda Gowda announced this on Tuesday.

A Swiss manufactured drug, till March 2021 the demand of Tocilizumab in various hospitals across the country was sufficiently met until the sudden spike of Covid cases in the month of April 2021. Since April the demand for the drug has gone up.

In order to meet the demands of the drug in the various hospitals, on April 30 the government had allocated the available quantity of 9,900 injections (400 mg strength) to various States, UTs and Central Government Hospitals.

On May 11, India imported 45,000 vials (80 mg strength) which has been further allocated to States/UTs by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Department of Pharmaceuticals.

The Center had also allocated the 50,000 vials (80 mg strength) which had been donated by Roche through Indian Red Cross Society on May 10.