Senior BJD MLA Debi Prasad Mishra has raised concern over the delay in availability of Covid-19 vaccine in the State.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour in the State Assembly, Mishra said Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan had earlier said Covid-19 vaccine in India would be available by this yearend.
But on October 4, he stated that it would be available by July 2021 only to 20-25 crore people in whole of the country.
Considering this, Odisha having a population of 4.37 crore would not be able to cover all the vulnerable Covid-19 people which is a matter of concern, said Mishra.Although the recovery and death rates are comparatively better in Odisha than some other States, but taking into account the number of Covid-19-infected persons in last month and the assessment of doctors and scientist during winter the figure of infection may not be visibly low which would give a lot of pressure upon Covid management in the State, apprehended Mishra, a former Health & Family Welfare Minister.
He said Odisha is proactive in communicating with major vaccine producers like the Serum Institute India (SII), which has collaborated with Oxford to produce Covid-19 vaccine.State Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has requested the SII to consider Odisha as a priority State for Covid-19 vaccination once necessary clearances are obtained, he pointed out.As per the Department of Bio Technology, WHO and the Union Health & Family Welfare Ministry, several producers are in various stages of clinical development and the SII, Bharat Bio-tech and Zydus Cadila have begun their stages-II and III trials of vaccine. Besides, the Pune-based Gennova, Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech and Aurobindo Pharma would start their human trials by the end of this year.
The Sputnik V being produced by the Gamalaya Institute of Russia would be distributed by the Dr Reddy’s Laboratory in India.In this scenario, Mishra said, the Union Health Minister’s statement for vaccine procurement centrally may not give leverage to Odisha to have direct engagements with successful vaccine manufacturers to cover its needy number of people.
Mishra demanded that before finalisation of plans in this regard, the States are to be taken into confidence as they are the major stakeholders so that the States would chalk out proper plans to cover all vulnerable people in the villages and towns for vaccination.
Mishra also requested the Odisha Health and Family Welfare Minister to re-strategise the vaccine procurement programme in view of the delay and low availability of getting vaccine as announced by the Union Minister.