By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: Keeping the interest of tens of thousands, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to direct Ministry of Health to avail COVID-19 vaccines in the open market. Odisha has so far vaccinated 47 lakh people, including its COVID-19 warriors.
“As this is an extraordinary situation, our governments should run the extra mile,” he said.
Chief Minister Patnaik argued that a few metropolitan cities, which register the maximum number of cases, should be given priority and age criteria in these places be made flexible.
Any lockdown in these “economic nerve centres” will have an impact on the rest of the country, he stated.“I am sure that with our continued cooperation, India will be able to fight this situation and save people’s lives,” Patnaik said.
The CM further said that Odisha has the capacity to administer over three lakh doses every day.“Intermittent supply is creating a challenge in meeting the demand. In this backdrop, I had requested for 25 lakh vaccine doses to help us administer three lakh shots 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 explained. He expressed hope that the Centre would “scale up” the vaccination drive in the days to come. So far, Odisha had vaccinated 47 lakh people, including healthcare workers, frontline workers and persons aged above 45 years, he added.
The Odisha Government not conducted the COVID-19 vaccination drive on Saturdays and Sundays in urban areas of 10 districts where weekend shutdown imposed from April 17.The immunisation programme also not be held on weekends in cities and towns of Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Bargarh, Nuapada, Kalahandi, Bolangir, Nabarngpur, Koraput and Malkangiri district
