Odisha CM urges PM to allow sale of COVID-19 vaccines in open market

    Bhubaneswar, Apr 17 (PTI) Odisha Chief Minister Naveen
Patnaik has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make COVID-
19 vaccines available in the open market for citizens willing
to buy them.
    The move will help state governments streamline their
focus on the vulnerable sections of the society, he wrote to
the prime minister on Friday.
    Patnaik also stressed that COVID-19 vaccines which
have received green signals globally from credible agencies
should be accorded approval in India.
    Noting that India has a huge vaccine manufacturing
potential, the chief minister said the Centre and states
should support production units.
    "As this is an extraordinary situation, our
governments should run the extra mile," he said.
    The CM pointed out that a few metropolitan cities,
which register the maximum number of cases, should be given
priority and age criteria in these places be made flexible.
    Any lockdown in these "economic nerve centres" will
have an impact on the rest of the country, he stated.
    "I am sure that with our continued cooperation, India
will be able to fight this situation and save people's lives,"
Patnaik underlined.
    The CM further said that Odisha has the capacity to
administer over three lakh doses every day.
    "Intermittent supply is creating a challenge in
meeting the demand. In this backdrop, I had requested for 25
lakh vaccine doses to help us administer three lakh shots
every day. Even at full capacity, it will take us 160 days to
fully vaccinate the eligible population of our state (above 45
years)," Patnaik explained.
    He expressed hope that the Centre would "scale up" the
vaccination drive in the days to come.
    Odisha has so far vaccinated 47 lakh people, including
its COVID-19 warriors. PTI AAM
RMS RMS

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)