Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Saturday, urging him to make vaccines available in the open market.
The CM demanded that COVID-19 vaccine be made available outside the government supply chain in open market so that those who can afford can avail them. This will help the governments focus on the vulnerable sections of the society, he said.
Those COVID-19 vaccines that have already been approved globally may be accorded approval so that the supply of vaccine will increase, CM Patnaik suggested.
India having a huge vaccine manufacturing potential, the centre and states should provide support to units to ramp up vaccine production, he further suggested.
CM Patnaik also urged for priority vaccination and flexibility in age criteria for the few metropolitan cities which contribute the highest COVID-19 cases because these cities are the economic nerve centres of the country. Any lockdown in these cities will have impact on rest of the country in terms of labour movement.
Reminding the PM of Odisha’s demand for 25 lakh vaccine doses, the CM at the outset mentioned that Odisha has vaccinated around 47 lakh healthcare workers, COVID warriors and persons above 45 years. He also pointed it out that Odisha has the lowest rates of wastage in the country.
He also insisted that Odisha will take 160 days to fully vaccinate the eligible population (above 45 years) of Odisha.
“It is in this backdrop that I had requested for 25 lakh vaccine doses to help us administer three lakh doses every day. Even at full capacity it will take us 160 days to fully vaccinate the eligible population of our State (above 45 years),” CM Patnaik said.
Notably, Odisha registered 3,144 new COVID-19 cases and four deaths, Saturday.
PNN
