Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said that the covid vaccination drive for the people aged over 18 years, beginning from May 1, may get affected in Chhattisgarh, if the State is not supplied the stocks of the covid vaccine on time. Talking to mediapersons through video conference on Tuesday, Chief Minister Baghel said that State Government has prepared a road map for covid vaccination drive for the people aged over 18 years, but the State has not received stocks of covid vaccine so far. The State Government has placed an order for procurement of 50 lakh doses of covid vaccine to Bharat Biotech on Monday. Around 1.35 crore people, whose ages are between 18 and 45 years, will get vaccinated under the drive in State.

 

If the vaccines does not arrive on time that may hamper the vaccination drive in Chhattisgarh. Baghel said that he had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan, seeking information on the availability and cost of vaccines to be provided to State as part of the third phase of the Covid vaccination drive. Baghel claimed that the Central Government has not given its reply to the state in this matter so far. If the state receives the stocks of covid vaccine by April 30, State is ready to carry out the vaccination drive across State, he added. Asked on stern action being taken on black-marketing of Remdesivir injection in State, the Chief Minister pointed that the Central Government has abolished the Essential Commodities Act and now the new laws allow the storage of these things.

 

The State government can only take action against the black marketing of drugs under the provisions of various sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC). According to the provisions of various Sections of the IPC, the accused have been booked on the charges of allegedly selling Remdesivir injection in State, he added. Responding to another query on availability and supply of oxygen in the state, Baghel said that there is no shortage of oxygen in State. Chhattisgarh is supplying over 400 metric tonne of oxygen daily to Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra and other states, he added. The Chief Minister said that industrial units and social organisations are also actively helping people for getting oxygen during the present covid crisis.

The State government is taking various measures including imposition of lockdown in the districts to tackle the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the state. Besides, health infrastructures are being improved continuously to tackle the corona situation. Now, the State government is focusing to arrange oxygen beds at Primary Health Centres and Community Health Centres at the blocks of the state for the management of the COVID-19 pandemic. Besides, two more RT-PCR testing centres will start functioning at Mungeli and Balod soon. At present, there are seven RT-PCR testing centres in the Government sector and 5 in the private sector, he added.