Bhubaneswar, May 7 -- Bhubaneswar: Amid the rising cases of Coronavirus, Odisha government has issued the standard operating procedure (SOP) for the requisition of Tocilizumab for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

The Additional Chief Secretary (Health), PK Mohapatra has written to all the district collectors, municipal commissioners, CDM and PHOs regarding the SOP for the requisition of Tocilizumab and other drugs to treat Covid positives.

He said that Tocilizumab, as per the Union Health Ministry, may be considered in patients with moderate disease with progressively increasing oxygen requirements and in mechanically ventilated patients not improving despite the use of steroid.

He further said it was observed that the hospitals are...