Daily Times

NCOCA National Policy has been prepared to initiate Rapid Antigen Testing to detect coronavirus through swift method.

The information was shared with National Command and Operation Centre on Tuesday.

The executive director National Institute of Health briefed the NCOC that all the provinces were taken on board to devise a unified strategy to hold Antigen Testing as per the international standards.

The forum was told that initially all government authorized public sector laboratories could perform the antigen tests for the specified categories.

The provincial representatives informed the meeting that all necessary arrangements are being made to hold Antigen testing in all major hospitals.

Meanwhile, Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has suggested a 38 percent cut in 100mg Remdesivir injection price and recommended to set its price up to Rs5,680.

The federal government has decided to approve a major reduction in prices of Remdesivir injection used to treat Covid-19 patients as a summary was sent to the federal cabinet by the health ministry.

According to the DRAP summary, it has been recommended to fix the price up to Rs5,680 for a vial of 100 mg Remdesivir injection following a decline in its rate globally. Earlier, the federal cabinet had fixed its price up to Rs10,873 on June 16.

The summary prepared by DRAP policy board on November 9 stated that the authority had decreased its price up to Rs9,244 from Rs10,873 on August 17, as of now, the price of Remdesivir injection falls from $50 to $35 globally.

Prime Minister Imran Khan summoned a session of the federal cabinet today in order to discuss a 14-point agenda which includes mulling over the reduction in injections’ prices for COVID-19 patients, as well as reviewed notification regarding rates of medicines, it was learnt earlier in the day.