November 22, 2024 17:09 (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
Chhattisgarh: 10 Maoists killed during encounter with security forces in Sukma | Baba Siddique murder case: Arrested Akashdeep Gill used a labourer's hotspot to evade tracking, say police | Donald Trump picks 'smart and tough' Pam Bondi as new US Attorney General after Matt Gaetz withdraws | Canadian government denies media report that claims PM Modi knew of Khalistani leader Nijjar's killing | PM Modi bestowed Dominica's highest award at India-CARICOM Summit
COVID-19 surge: CM Mamata Banerjee writes to PM Narendra Modi seeking 5.4 cr more vaccine doses
Mamata Banerjee
PIB

COVID-19 surge: CM Mamata Banerjee writes to PM Narendra Modi seeking 5.4 cr more vaccine doses

| @indiablooms | 18 Apr 2021, 08:56 pm

Kolkata/UNI: In the wake of second wave of COVID-19, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and requested him to supply of 5.4 crore more vaccine doses.

As the nation grapples with the second wave of COVID-19, Banerjee wrote to  Modi seeking his intervention in the state's battle against the virus.

Highlighting the lack of vaccine stock, she demanded an additional 5.4 crore vaccine doses to inoculate 2.7 crore citizens.

In the letter, the chief minister said she had written a letter to the Prime Minister on February 24 last to allow the state to purchase vaccination doses directly with state funds and launch a massive free vaccination campaign in the state covering the entire population.

However, the state has not received the requisite clearance yet, she said.

She said that while the state had offered to freely vaccinate all citizens by freeing up the SDRF, she said such permission was not given by the Centre.

Moreover, hit by shortage of Remdesivir - the drug used for treating COVID-19, the chief minister said that the state required 6,000 vials of Remdesivir and 1,000 vials of Tocilizumab daily, but had only 100 vials available.

Similarly, Banerjee sought the Prime Minister’s intervention in ensuring that government-run SAIL continues to supply adequate medical oxygen to the state's various hospitals.

“The number of cases in the state has also begun to increase sharply, particularly in view of coming of a large number of outsiders to the state for election campaign and other purposes at the behest of some political parties,” she wrote.

She further said that vaccination is of top importance, particularly in Kolkata where the density of the population is extremely high.

Accusing the Centre of erratic vaccine supply, the feisty the chief minister said it was hampering the vaccination programme.

“There’s shortage of Remdesivir and oxygen in country....Today there's no medicine in our country but medicines were sent to 80 countries. I don't have any problem if you send medicines, first provide it to your nation,” she added.

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.