Mumbai, Jun 25 (PTI) The Maharashtra government has decided to procure anti-viral drugs Remdesivir and Favipiravir in large quantities for the treatment of COVID-19 patients, state health minister Rajesh Tope said on Thursday.

"We have decided to buy Remdesivir and Favipiravir as well as other essential drugs to treat COVID-19 patients in large numbers. The drugs are costly so the state has decided to buy them itself," he told reporters here.

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"We are also asking district collectors to requisition private ambulances for transportation of COVID-19 patients. Every district has a fixed rate of transportation. Ambulance operators can be paid accordingly," Tope said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)