<p>Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Thursday claimed the Centre's Department of Pharmaceuticals was slow in granting clearance to essential items imported by the state government in the wake of a surge in Covid-19 cases.</p>.<p>Talking to reporters here, Tope said he held a meeting with state health officials on Thursday and asked them to grant necessary approval and clearances from their end to make every district self-sufficient in oxygen, medicines and other medical equipment before the third wave of Covid-19.</p>.<p>"The (Centre's) Department of Pharmaceuticals is not giving speedy approval for various essential items that we have ordered from abroad," he said.</p>.<p><a href="http://www.deccanherald.com/tag/covid-19"><strong>SPECIAL CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE ONLY ON DH</strong></a></p>.<p>"The Union government's procedure is taking more time. It takes various clearances and approvals before the items are dispatched to the state," the minister said.</p>.<p>Tope said the state is expecting around 3.5 lakh vials of Remdesivir, the key anti-viral drug, from abroad in the next one or two days.</p>.<p>The minister also said he has asked district collectors to facilitate more beds and oxygen supply machinery at the earliest.</p>.<p>He said a few days back, the state government floated a global tender to purchase various items, including oxygen tanks and oxygen generators, and it has received proposals from many countries.</p>.<p>"I have asked the state task force to expedite the process of approval, like technical clearance for oxygen generators. We cannot sit on the proposals for five-eight days. Once the approval is given, we can airlift the items and bring them here," he said.</p>.<p>The state is planning to buy around 40,000 oxygen generators, he added.</p>.<p>Tope recently said the state could witness the third wave of Covid-19 in July or August.</p>.<p>On Wednesday, Maharashtra reported 920 deaths due to Covid-19, taking the toll to 72,662, while 57,640 new cases pushed the overall infection count to 48,80,542, as per the state health department</p>
<p>Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Thursday claimed the Centre's Department of Pharmaceuticals was slow in granting clearance to essential items imported by the state government in the wake of a surge in Covid-19 cases.</p>.<p>Talking to reporters here, Tope said he held a meeting with state health officials on Thursday and asked them to grant necessary approval and clearances from their end to make every district self-sufficient in oxygen, medicines and other medical equipment before the third wave of Covid-19.</p>.<p>"The (Centre's) Department of Pharmaceuticals is not giving speedy approval for various essential items that we have ordered from abroad," he said.</p>.<p><a href="http://www.deccanherald.com/tag/covid-19"><strong>SPECIAL CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE ONLY ON DH</strong></a></p>.<p>"The Union government's procedure is taking more time. It takes various clearances and approvals before the items are dispatched to the state," the minister said.</p>.<p>Tope said the state is expecting around 3.5 lakh vials of Remdesivir, the key anti-viral drug, from abroad in the next one or two days.</p>.<p>The minister also said he has asked district collectors to facilitate more beds and oxygen supply machinery at the earliest.</p>.<p>He said a few days back, the state government floated a global tender to purchase various items, including oxygen tanks and oxygen generators, and it has received proposals from many countries.</p>.<p>"I have asked the state task force to expedite the process of approval, like technical clearance for oxygen generators. We cannot sit on the proposals for five-eight days. Once the approval is given, we can airlift the items and bring them here," he said.</p>.<p>The state is planning to buy around 40,000 oxygen generators, he added.</p>.<p>Tope recently said the state could witness the third wave of Covid-19 in July or August.</p>.<p>On Wednesday, Maharashtra reported 920 deaths due to Covid-19, taking the toll to 72,662, while 57,640 new cases pushed the overall infection count to 48,80,542, as per the state health department</p>