Punjab is left with only 1.9 lakh doses of vaccine owing to the lesser supply of the vaccine from the Central Government. Out of the available stock, more than one lakh doses are expected to be used by Monday.
Sharing the information, the state Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu on Monday said that about 1.5 lakh beneficiaries got vaccinated as on April 25 and the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has already raised the State’s alarming situation due to increasing cases of coronavirus and demanded regular supply of COVID-19 vaccine and oxygen from the Centre.
Sidhu, while inaugurating the Guru Nanak Dev Dialysis Unit, said that Punjab Government is organizing vaccination at all the primary health centers and health wellness centers as well as special camps in the rural areas to facilitate the people at their doorsteps where we have capacity of vaccinating more than three lakh beneficiaries easily.
He said that more than 30,05,083 people have been vaccinated in Punjab so far under which a total of 26,82,393 vaccinated with first dose and 3,22,690 with the second dose.
“Punjab Government has already appealed to the Union Government to regularize the supply of vaccines in the State as the trained staff and infrastructure provided by the Punjab Government could vaccinate three lakh people daily, requiring 15 lakh doses every week. The health department has written a letter to the Union Ministry of Health on April 22 demanding 10 lakh doses of vaccine,” he added.
The Minister divulged the Health Department has received the intimation letter from the Centre that they are sending only 1.5 lakh doses of Coviesheild vaccine against our demand by Tuesday.
Regarding the preparations for vaccination for people above 18 years of age from May 1, Sidhu said that the Chief Minister had asked the Department to order 30 lakh Covishield vaccine doses.
Sidhu, regarding the shortage of oxygen, said that the plants of the Punjab Government were running at full capacity while the Central Government had reduced the liquid oxygen quota of Punjab.