Bhubaneswar, Apr 17 (UNI) Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make covid 19 vaccines available outside the government supply chain to allow the willing citizens to avail and afford the vaccine.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, Mr.Patnaik said covid vaccine in the open market would help the government to have a focused approach towards the vulnerable sections of the society.
He further said the covid vaccine already approved globally by the credible agencies and governments may be accorded approval to increase the supply.
India, Mr.Patnaik said since India has the huge vaccine manufacturing potential ,the centre and the state governments should support the units to ramp up vaccine productions.
The government, he said, should run the extra miles in this regard considering the situation as extraordinary.
Mr.Patnaik suggested that few metropolitan cities which contribute maximum covid cases be allowed priority vaccination and flexibility in age criteria as these are economic nerve centres of the country.
Any lockdown in these areas will have an impact on the rest of the country in terms of labour movement, the Chief Minister said and urged the Prime Minister to make available the appropriate quantity of covid vaccine for the states to scale up the vaccination process.
Mr.Patnaik said Odisha has till date vaccinated 47 lakh covid vaccine doses to health care workers, frontline workers and people above the age group of 45 years.
Odisha, he claimed has the lowest rates of wastage in the county and has the capacity to administer 3 lakh doses in a day.
Mr Patnaik said “We are getting a huge response from the people to be vaccinated adding that an intermittent supply is creating challenges in meeting the demands.
He requested the Prime Minister to supply at least 25 lakh vaccine doses to help the state administer three lakh doses everyday.
Mr. Patnaik hoped that the union government would be planning to scale up the vaccination drive and widen its scope.
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