E-Paper
Odisha becomes 5th state to float global tender for Covid-19 vaccine
During the meeting, it was also decided to form a technical team for swift procurement of vaccines and vaccination.
Odisha became the fifth state after Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan and Maharashtra to float global tenders to procure vaccines for international manufacturers and asked the Centre to exempt imported vaccines from all tax liabilities to reduce the burden on its finances. The move came at a meeting chaired by chief minister Naveen Patnaik.
During the meeting, it was also decided to form a technical team for swift procurement of vaccines and vaccination.
Odisha is seeking to import vaccines to vaccinate its people in the 18-44 age group. Currently, the state is getting Covishield and Covaxin vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech respectively.
The state expects to get the Sputnik V vaccine, with an efficacy of 91 per cent, that was invented by Russia’s Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology. Sputnik V recently got central approval for production and use in India.
The government’s decision to float global tender came as the vaccination drive has slowed down due to a poor supply of vaccines. On Monday, several senior citizens in districts like Balasore, Keonjhar and Bhadrak, who had come to a vaccination centre to take the second dose, staged dharna protesting the unavailability of the Covid-19 vaccine.
The beneficiaries alleged that they have been visiting the centre every other day for the second jab, but to no avail. So far 62,84,644 doses of Covaxin and Covishield have been given to beneficiaries.
In another move to strengthen Odisha’s preparedness to fight the second wave of Covid-19, the Cabinet has also approved amendments in Industrial Policy Resolutions 2015 incentivising the production of medical oxygen in the state. This will offer benefits to those manufacturing medical oxygen and containers.
While appreciating the hard work and sacrifices of Covid-19 warriors across the state, the CM expressed heartfelt gratitude to the people for their cooperation in the fight against the pandemic.
