India News | Provide One Crore Vaccine Doses, Syringes Every Month, Chhattisgarh CM Writes to Modi

Raipur, Nov 3 (PTI) After attending a virtual meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the COVID-19 vaccination drive on Wednesday, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel wrote to him seeking one crore doses of vaccines and as many syringes each month, officials said.

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Baghel thanked Modi for holding the review meeting, but said the Chhattisgarh government did not get an opportunity to put forth its stand, so he was putting it in writing.

"In the presentation shown during the virtual meeting, the figures of vaccination done initially in the state through the CG Teeka Portal were not mentioned....through this portal, 12,02,435 first doses and 28,932 second doses were administered," Baghel wrote.

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While 1,60,54,152 people have received the first dose of vaccine in Chhattisgarh, 73,72,344 have got their second jab too. Thus, 80 per cent (of eligible population) have received their first dose and 37 percent a second dose "which is more than the national average,” the CM noted. Citing the presentation of the union health secretary indicating a shortage of vaccine doses in the state, he said 38,82,646 people were due to receive a second dose while only 31,93,735 shots were available.

"It clearly shows that the state does not have sufficient vaccines for the second dose while no vaccine is available for the first one," the chief minister said.

Similarly, against the requirement of 31,93,735 syringes, Chhattisgarh has 19,76,722 in stock and this shortage was affecting the drive, Baghel said.

On September 20, as many as 4,29,006 doses were administered on a single day in the state, and with sufficient stocks Chhattisgarh can cover upto seven lakh people per day, the CM wrote to Modi.

“Earlier also, I have requested you to provide one crore doses of vaccines and again I urge you to provide this much stock of vaccine doses as well as one crore syringes every month," the letter said, adding that the state will soon achieve full vaccination if sufficient stocks were provided.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)