HYDERABAD: The Apollo Group of Hospitals has started its pilot project to administer the Sputnik V vaccine to 50,000 employees of Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (DRL) and their families across the country.
After this, the Russian vaccine will be available for the general public at the Apollo Hospital’s Jubilee Hills branch through the CoWIN portal. The hospital had recently received the first batch of 1.5 lakh of Sputnik V vials.
Apollo Hospitals and DRL announced that they are launching this limited pilot vaccination programme to check for logistical and other arrangements. The launch programme of the vaccination drive was held at the Apollo Hospital’s Hyderabad branch on Monday.
“We are starting a trial run from Monday to fix any logistical issues and to prove that the vaccine is safe. Sputnik V has a distinctly different vaccine for the first and second dose, unlike the other vaccines being used in India that use the same vaccine for both the doses. The second dose has to be administered after twenty-one days.
The cost of vaccination will be between Rs 1,200 and Rs 1,250, including the vaccination and vaccine administering.” said Dr K Hari Prasad, president, Hospitals Division, Apollo Hospitals Enterprises Limited. Officials from Dr Reddy’s said that after the pilot drive, the drive will be extended to public. “Initially, we will import and soon locally manufacture it in due course,” said MV Ramana, CEO, Branded Markets (India & Emerging Markets), DRL.
RMPS warned against treating Covid patients
The Cyberabad police have warned RMPs operating in Shadnagar area of strict action if they are found treating Covid-19 patients. Shadnagar ACP Ch Kushalkar held a meeting in this connection on Monday with RMPs belonging to 10 mandals under Shadnagar division.
Kushalkar informed the RMPs that if anybody approached them for treatment and were found with Covid symptoms, they should direct the patients to the nearby government hospital. The RMPs should not treat such patients and increase the risk. Such treatments without proper understanding of the symptoms, could lead to dangerous conditions and the patient will also be deprived of proper care. RMPs can only give some first aid,” Kushalkar said.
11-member gang held for selling remdesivir illegally, 30 shots seized
An eleven-member gang, including the manager of a private hospital and his associates, who were involved in blackmarketing of Remdesivir injection, were arrested by the Suryapet district police. Thirty injections were seized, while the police found that the accused would sell them for upto Rs 35,000 per vial. The main accused G Madhava Reddy, the manager of a private hospital, would direct the injections, meant for Covid patients taking treatment in their hospital, to his associates. He would then tell the patients that there is no stock in the hospital and the drug can be arranged through known persons.