Make Covid vaccines accessible in open market: Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik writes to PM Narendra Modi

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday requesting him to make vaccines accessible within the open marketplace for higher accessibility to these in want.
“Vaccines may be made available outside the government supply chain in the open market so that willing citizens who can afford the vaccine can avail them. This will help governments to have a focused approach towards vulnerable sections of society,” Patnaik wrote in his letter to the Prime Minister, including that the vaccines which have been accepted globally by credible companies and governments must be accorded approval to extend the availability.

Emphasising on India’s vaccine manufacturing potential, Patnaik advised that the Centre and states ought to assist models to ramp up vaccine manufacturing. He additionally advised rationalisation in vaccine distribution with a particular give attention to metropolitan cities.

“The few metropolitan cities which contribute the highest COVID cases should be allowed priority vaccination and flexibility in age criteria as these are economic nerve centres of the country, and any lockdown in these areas will have an impact on the rest of the country in terms of labour movement,” the letter learn.
Odisha’s numbers through the first wave of the pandemic had witnessed a pointy spike after migrants returned to the state following a lack of livelihood alternatives because of the lockdown. Most of those employees had been from Ganjam district.
In his letter, Patnaik additionally acknowledged that Odisha has until date administered about 47 lakh Covid vaccine doses to healthcare employees, frontline employees and folks above 45 years.

“We have one of the lowest rates of wastage in the country. We have a capacity to administer more than three lakh doses every day. We are getting a huge response from people to get vaccinated. He said the intermittent supply was creating a challenge in meeting the demand. 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),” Patnaik wrote.
Earlier, the state had despatched three letters to the Centre drawing its consideration to the vaccine scarcity in Odisha. Vaccination drive was earlier halted in 11 districts following the scarcity and is underway now solely in 400 out of the 1,400 vaccination centres.

Meanwhile, the state reported 3,144 new optimistic instances and 4 extra deaths on Saturday.