Odisha CM Patnaik urges PM Modi to allow COVID vaccine sale in open markets
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Bhubaneshwar, Apr 17: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has urged the Centre to ensure an adequate supply of COVID-19 vaccines to states and also requested to allow the sale of COVID-19 vaccines in open market so that willing citizens who can afford the vaccine can avail them.
The Chief Minister wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a letter, on Friday, saying, "Vaccines may be made available outside the govt supply chain in the open market so that willing citizens, who can afford the vaccine can avail them. This will help governments to have a focused approach towards vulnerable sections of the society." He said, "The vaccines that have been already approved globally by credible agencies and governments may be accorded approval to increase supply."
The Chief Minister also requested PM Modi to ensure an adequate supply of the vaccines to states to scale up the vaccination drive. The CM informed that Odisha had administered about 47 lakh doses to healthcare workers, frontline workers and persons above 45 years. Taking the current situation into account, CM Patnaik further said India had a huge vaccine manufacturing potential and the Centre and states should support units to ramp up vaccine production."
Patnaik further added, "The few metropolitan cities, which contribute the highest COVID cases should be allowed priority vaccination and flexibility in age criteria as these are economic nerve scenes of the country, and any lockdown in these areas will have an impact on the rest of the country in terms of the labour movement."