Karnataka's COVID-19 task force on July 21 decided that the state government will regulate the supply of Remdesivir, the drug used in the treatment of coronavirus infected patients, to private hospitals to check black marketing and hoarding.

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"Remdesivir which is currently available in the government hospitals will be supplied to private hospitals through the government. This will help curb black marketing of this drug," the Medical Education Minister's office said in a release. Along with him, other task force members, including the Health Minister, the Deputy Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary attended the meeting. However, the Home Minister was not part of it as he was out of Bengaluru. At the meeting, the government has also fixed the rate for COVID tests in private labs- Rs 2,000 for government referred cases and 3,000 for self-reporting cases.

It was also decided to purchase 4 lakh antigen test kits and 5 lakh swab test kits to ramp up testing, the release said, adding that approvals have also been given for additional drugs for treatment of COVID-19 patients. The decisions also included increasing monthly salary for Ayush doctors to 48,000, MBBS doctors to 80,000 and nurses to get 30,000 for next 6 months. The task force also made it clear that private hospitals have to reserve 50 percent beds for the government for COVID treatment. The remaining 50 percent can be used by the private hospitals for COVID and non-COVID treatment.

Private hospitals provide treatment under Ayushman Bharat scheme (ABARK) for COVID patients. Those cases in which treatment does not cover under the scheme can be charged as per the user charges, the release said. A committee will be formed to supervise and recommend purchase of equipment and medicines for COVID treatment, which will be headed by ACS, ITBT Department.

Approval has been given for procurement of N-95 masks and lakh PPE kits for the safety of healthcare workers. Decision also has been taken to connect oxygen pipeline to 4,736 beds in 17 government medical colleges, which will enable high flow oxygen for these beds besides being beneficial for future use as well. According to the release, 16 RTPCR and 15 Automated RNA extraction units will be established to ramp up testing and this will help achieve the target of 50,000 tests per day. "On the whole approvals given for purchase of equipment and upgradation of existing facilities at government hospitals is estimated to be about Rs 500 Crore," it added.