E-Paper
Rajasthan CM urges PM Narendra Modi to increase supply of Covid vaccine
Gehlot’s letter states that the state has been recognised for demonstrating “exemplary” Covid management and is among the best performers in carrying out the vaccination drive efficiently.
Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to say that the state needed to vaccinate 1.5 million beneficiaries daily if it were to vaccinate the 7 million people due for their second dose by the end of July on time. Gehlot said the Centre was currently on an average supplying 300,000-400,000 vaccines doses daily to the state, which will obstruct the state’s effort to prevent the 3rd wave of Covid-19.
“...More than seven million people will be due for their second dose by the end of July, 2021. To ensure time-bound and expeditious vaccination, we have created a capacity to vaccinate over 1.5 million persons per day. Presently our daily vaccination is limited to the extent of supplies received from Central government. The daily average of vaccine doses received, since the start of vaccination drive for 18 years plus, has been 300,000 to 400,000 only,” Gehlot wrote.
The Central government reversed the vaccination procurement policy after persistent complaints by states over its pricing and availability in the open market. From June 21 onwards, Centre is procuring and providing vaccine doses to states, based on their vaccination rate in the past and future needs. The Central government has told states that it will distribute 120 million doses including 100 million shots of Covishield and 20 million of Covaxin to all states and Union Territories for the month of July.
The Union ministry of health and family welfare has been sharing the estimated number of vaccine doses available in a particular month with states before the start of the month as part of its advance visibility plan so that states and UTs can prepare and schedule vaccinations accordingly.
Gehlot’s letter states that the state has been recognised for demonstrating “exemplary” Covid management and is among the best performers in vaccination drive, having inoculated over 236 million people till date while achieving a negative (less than 0%) wastage.
Negative wastage indicates optimum utilisation by using more than the minimum number of doses present in a vial of vaccine. Wastage of vaccine doses, which was initially very high for several states, was cited by experts as one of the reasons for states running out of doses before time.
India has so far administered 371.8 million doses to 265.4 million people since January 16, 2021, when the national Covid-19 vaccination drive was launched. A total of 209 million people have received one dose, while 56.4 million people have been fully vaccinated till Sunday morning, according to government data. The Centre has, however, said it plans to scale up vaccinations to reach about 10 million doses in a single day by August. An average of over 6 million doses have been administered every day in the country between June 21 and June 27 after the new phase of the government’s vaccine drive came into effect.
