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NEW DELHI: India has placed urgent orders for at least 11.45 crore hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) tablets. This medication is being purchased directly by HLL Lifecare on behalf of the Union Ministry of Health.
Hindustan Latex Limited (HLL) Lifecare is a government owned healthcare manufacturing company.
HCQ is an antimalarial drug and has only been recommended as a prophylaxis for Covid-19 according to the national Covid-19 working group. It is not a cure, but this protocol has been recommended by the National Task Force to most front-line health care workers and has been approved by the General Drug Controller of India (DCGI) for restricted use in a emergency situation.
A senior Ministry of Health official told ANI: “For HCQ, we have placed orders for approximately 11.45 crore tablets from two Indian companies: IPCA laboratories and Zydus Cadila. So far, we have received 6.64 crore HCQ and the rest will arrive by May 16. ”
According to the revised guidelines on the clinical management of Covid-19, HCQ tablets are for restricted and prophylactic use of Covid-19 only in selected eligible individuals, the official said.
“Your selected eligible individuals include: (i) asymptomatic healthcare workers involved in the care of suspected or confirmed cases of patients with Covid-19, (ii) asymptomatic home contacts of laboratory confirmed cases, (iii) patients with severe disease Covid-19 requires ICU management, “he said, adding that these medications should be administered under strict medical supervision with monitoring of side effects.
This medicine is not recommended for children under 12 years, nursing mothers and pregnant women. The drug is contraindicated in people with known cases of retinopathy, known hypersensitivity to HCQ, the official added.
According to the official, “of 6.64 crore HCQ medicines, the Center has distributed at least 4.3 crore HCQ tablets to the states and the rest remain in the center-state stock.”
Some states have purchased about 3.8 crore HCQ tablets directly from manufacturers.
“Therefore, more than 10.44 crore HCQ tablets have been available to states to date,” said the official.
If someone becomes symptomatic during prophylaxis, they should immediately contact the health center, be tested according to national guidelines, and follow the standard treatment protocol, according to government guidelines. The individual is advised to consult a doctor for any adverse event or possible drug interaction before the start of the medication.
These guidelines are based on currently available information and would be reviewed from time to time as new evidence emerges.
In addition to home use, India has also exported nearly 3 million HCQ tablets to 87 countries, drawing praise from the heads of state of various nations.
On Friday, the central government had reported that HCQ production increased to 30 crore tablets in April from a previous production capacity of 12.33 crore tablets. A total of 16 crore tablets have been released to the market.
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Hindustan Latex Limited (HLL) Lifecare is a government owned healthcare manufacturing company.
HCQ is an antimalarial drug and has only been recommended as a prophylaxis for Covid-19 according to the national Covid-19 working group. It is not a cure, but this protocol has been recommended by the National Task Force to most front-line health care workers and has been approved by the General Drug Controller of India (DCGI) for restricted use in a emergency situation.
A senior Ministry of Health official told ANI: “For HCQ, we have placed orders for approximately 11.45 crore tablets from two Indian companies: IPCA laboratories and Zydus Cadila. So far, we have received 6.64 crore HCQ and the rest will arrive by May 16. ”
According to the revised guidelines on the clinical management of Covid-19, HCQ tablets are for restricted and prophylactic use of Covid-19 only in selected eligible individuals, the official said.
“Your selected eligible individuals include: (i) asymptomatic healthcare workers involved in the care of suspected or confirmed cases of patients with Covid-19, (ii) asymptomatic home contacts of laboratory confirmed cases, (iii) patients with severe disease Covid-19 requires ICU management, “he said, adding that these medications should be administered under strict medical supervision with monitoring of side effects.
This medicine is not recommended for children under 12 years, nursing mothers and pregnant women. The drug is contraindicated in people with known cases of retinopathy, known hypersensitivity to HCQ, the official added.
According to the official, “of 6.64 crore HCQ medicines, the Center has distributed at least 4.3 crore HCQ tablets to the states and the rest remain in the center-state stock.”
Some states have purchased about 3.8 crore HCQ tablets directly from manufacturers.
“Therefore, more than 10.44 crore HCQ tablets have been available to states to date,” said the official.
If someone becomes symptomatic during prophylaxis, they should immediately contact the health center, be tested according to national guidelines, and follow the standard treatment protocol, according to government guidelines. The individual is advised to consult a doctor for any adverse event or possible drug interaction before the start of the medication.
These guidelines are based on currently available information and would be reviewed from time to time as new evidence emerges.
In addition to home use, India has also exported nearly 3 million HCQ tablets to 87 countries, drawing praise from the heads of state of various nations.
On Friday, the central government had reported that HCQ production increased to 30 crore tablets in April from a previous production capacity of 12.33 crore tablets. A total of 16 crore tablets have been released to the market.
