Maharashtra: COVID-19 vaccination for all may not start on May 1

Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope says SII will not be able to supply vaccines to state before May 20, due to Centre’s demands

Vaccination of the 18 to 44 age category is unlikely to take off in the state from May 1 because of the unavailability of vaccines. With just three days to go, the Indian vaccine producers are yet to respond to Maharashtra’s demand for a supply schedule and rates. The state is prepared to spend Rs 7,500 crore for buying 12 crore doses from Indian and foreign companies.

Vaccine-seekers at SRV Hospital in Chembur. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Health minister Rajesh Tope said on Tuesday that the state cabinet would take a final call on the expenditure and SOP  for vaccination on Wednesday. He said the health secretary had written to Indian vaccine makers on April 26. “The companies have been told about our requirement of 12 crore vaccine doses [for 5.71 cr people] and asked to tell us about the availability and supply schedule,” he said, expecting the Centre to intervene to reduce the prices of Indian vaccines.

Quoting from the CM meeting with Serum Institute of India, he said Covishield will be available only after May 20 because of the company’s contractual obligation with the Centre. The state hasn’t floated a global tender for importing vaccines yet.

Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, who heads the finance department, said he has signed the proposal which will be put up before the cabinet and CM Uddhav Thackeray will make an announcement. He said the cabinet will discuss the eligibility for free vaccination. “Actually vaccinating all is the Centre’s job, but it wants states to take care of the 18 to 44 age group. We will not spare any effort to make provision from our side,” said Pawar.

Tope said the state can inoculate all eligible people in record time if enough vaccines are available. “We vaccinated 5.34 lakh people on Monday, which is highest for us so far. Until now, we have given 1.50 crore doses. We can serve 8 lakh per day, but for that we must have vaccines at least for a week in advance to take care of logistics.”

‘Below 45’ will get jab only at private centres

The BMC has decided that people between the age group of 18 and 45 years will get the vaccine only at privately run vaccine centres. Currently 63 centres are run by civic and government hospitals and there are 73 privately run centres. In addition, the BMC has received applications from 26 private centres seeking permission for vaccinations. The corporation has appealed to private centres to apply for permission so that more centres can be included for vaccination. Civic commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal held a review meeting on Tuesday on the expanded vaccination drive in the city after May 1.

Global tender for oxygen, concentrators

Tope said the government has floated a global tender (expression of interest) to procure 40,000 oxygen concentrators, 25,000MT of oxygen, 132 pressure swing adsorption oxygen plants and 27 oxygen ISO tanks, and 10 lakh remdesivir vials. He said the ISO tanks can be installed in districts for a buffer stock. A committee under chief secretary will examine the bids. At present, the state uses 1,600MT oxygen which could rise in the coming days. Tope said the state needs more remdesivir because it wasn’t getting enough from the Centre. “Maharashtra has been allotted 4.37 lakh vials [between April 21 and 30]. But we are getting 40,000 a day, which brings some relief because it is more than the previous allotment of 26,000,” he said.

DyCM’s rap for ministers

Deputy CM Ajit Pawar has advised fellow ministers to stay away from making announcements that should come from CM Thackeray. His party colleague Nawab Malik had said that the state would inoculate all for free. Another minister, Aaditya Thackeray, too made a similar statement on social media but deleted it soon after, saying such things could be announced only after the state’s policy was made. The cracks in the MVA surfaced when Congress minister Balasaheb Thorat raised objections to the announcements, calling it as an attempt to seek credit for individual parties. “The matters that involve financial matters can only be decided and announced by the CM. Others should avoid discussing them [with the media],” he said.

5.71 CR
No. of people state wants to immunise

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