"We have all the infrastructure to conduct vaccination, but we do not have vaccines in adequate quantity. The CM is talking to different vaccine manufacturers," said Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope. In the next two days, the state is expected to start its ambitious plan to vaccinate close to six crore citizens in the age group of 18-44, if everything goes according to the plan. As of now, there seems to be anxiety, fear, doubt and frustration, regarding several issues surrounding the administration of the vaccine, beginning with its lack of availability.
On Tuesday, the state had mentioned that it was prepared to spend Rs 7,500 crore for buying 12 crore doses of vaccine from Indian and foreign manufacturing companies, but the Indian vaccine producers were yet to respond to the state's demand for a supply schedule and rates.
On Wednesday, the health minister tweeted that the government of Maharashtra decided in a cabinet meeting that it would "provide free vaccines to all citizens in the age group of 18-44 years." "A total of 57.1 million people in this age group will be given free vaccines. The state needs to be supplied 12 crore vaccines," he added, indicating that the state's vaccination drive is in a limbo currently.
Meanwhile, Covishield will be made available only after May 20, because "of the company's contractual obligations with the Centre.' Maharashtra has not floated a global tender for importing vaccines yet. The health minister had also tweeted that the state can inoculate all eligible people in record time if enough vaccines are available. Till date, the state of Maharashtra has successfully vaccinated 1.5 crore people.
Tope said the government has floated a global tender to procure 40,000 oxygen concentrators, 132 pressure swing adsorption oxygen plants, 27 oxygen ISO tanks and 10 lakh Remdesivir vials. At present, the state uses 1,600MT oxygen which could be increased in the coming days. "We also need more Remdesivir because it is not coming from the Centre," said Tope. Maharashtra has been allotted 4.37 lakh vials between April 21 and April 30. "But we are getting 40,000 a day," he said.
"As of now, we are preparing ourselves for the vaccine rollout. We do not know when we will receive it. But whenever we do, we need to be sure that we would be able to pull it off successfully. It may be that the vaccines reach us within a day tomorrow, or even a week or ten days later. Whatever it is, as soon as the state receives it, we will administer it very well," said Daksha Shah, deputy health officer, BMC in a telephonic call with THE WEEK.
BMC commissioner I.S. Chahal told THE WEEK that 63 existing MCGM/govt vaccination centres will be available to the age category of 45 years plus. Besides, 227 new MCGM centres will be opened, one in each municipal corporator’s ward, for all citizens in the 18 years plus age category. "At present, we are looking at increasing the capacity from 73 vaccination centres in private hospitals to 100 plus private hospitals, and they shall cater for vaccination to all citizens in the age category of 18 plus," said Chahal.
