Lok Sabha Question No. 750 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-02-05
Subject: Private Hospitals for Covid Care
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Dushyant Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 750 TO BE ANSWERED ON 5 TH February, 2021

## PRIVATE HOSPITALS FO R COVID CARE

## 750. SHRI DUSHYANT SINGH:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether there are more patients visiting private hospitals for COVID -19 care and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether there is a difference between the prices charged for receivin g 15 days treatment in private  visà - vis  Government  hospitals,  if  so,  the  details  of  the  price differences  thereof, State/UT - wise;

- (c) the details of the manufacturers of the Tocilizumab, Remdesivir, Favipiravir drugs in India and the prices charged by these manufacturers for the above mentioned drugs;
- (d) the details of requirement and availability status of these drugs, State/UT - wise; and
- (e) whether Government has put a price cap for these drugs, if so, the details thereof and if no thereasons therefor?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

- (a)& (b) : Health is a State subject. Ministry of Health & Family Welfare does not maintain any centralized data on patients visiting public and private hospitals for COVID- 19 care .

However, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has written to all States/UTs to engage pri hospitals through mutually agreeable arrangements. Rates under PM - JAY and CGHS packages have been advised. A large number of States have accordingly issued instructions to that affect.

- (c): There are no indigenous manufactures of the drug Tocilizumab in India. The Drug is curre being imp orted in the country by M/s Roche Products (India) Pvt. Ltd.

CDSCO  has  granted  permission  to  manufacture  Remdesivir  Injectable  formulations  to  variou manufactures as follows:

1. M/s Hetero Labs Limited
2. M/s Cipla Ltd.
3. M/s Mylan Laboratories Limited
4. M/s Jubilant Generics Limited at M/s Immacule Lifesciences Private Limited, H.P
5. M/s Dr. Reddys Laboratories Ltd.
6. M/s Cadila Healthcare
7. M/s Syngene International

CDSCO  has  granted  permission  to  manufacture  Favipiravir  Formulations  to  various  manufactures s follows:

1. M/s Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Limited
2. M/s Optimus Pharma Pvt. Ltd.
3. M/s  BDR  Pharmaceuticals  International  Pvt.  Ltd.  at  M/s  J.  Duncan  Healthcare  Private  Limit Maharastra
4. M/s Cipla Limited
5. M/s Zenara Pharma Private Limited
6. M/s Strides Pharma Scie nce Limited
7. M/s Sun Pharmaceuticals Industries Limited
8. M/s Pure & Cure
9. M/s Hetero labs
10. 10.M/s MSN Laboratories
11. 11.M/s Precise Biopharm
12. 12.M/s Macleods Pharma
13. 13.M/s Lee Pharma
14. 14.M/s Synokem Pharma
15. 15.M/s Synmedic Pharma
16. 16.M/s Mascot Health

Some of the manufactures have more than one manufacturing site.

## (d): Data on availability of individual drugs is not maintained Centrally.

In  the  initial  part  of  the  pandemic,  taking  cognizance  of  reports  of  shortages,  the requested  all  the  State  Drugs  Controllers  to  keep  a  strict vigil  on  the  illegal  sale  to  prevent  black marketing along with other measures. Subsequently, with increase in supply of the drug by more nu of manufacturers, as stated above, the situation has improved.

Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has not r eceived any reports of shortage recently.

(e): Drug Tocilizumab has been included under in the National COVID - 19  treatment  management protocol (available at:

https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/UpdatedClinicalManagementProtocolforCOVID19dated03072020.pdf)  as an investigational therapy only to be used in a defined subgroup of patients, with moderate dise progressively increasing oxygen requirements and   in mechanically ventilated patients not imp despite use of steroids.

The drug Favipiravir has not been part of National COVID - 19 treatment management protocol.

Further these drugs are also not included in the National List of Essential Medicines (N Therefore National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has not put a price cap for th ese drugs.