New Delhi : Centre finally cedes to incessant pressure from Kerala for supplies to meet demands of its Covid vaccine seekers. The Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said Kerala supplies will be dispatched on immediate basis. The assurance comes on the back of written request submitted by Left MPs to the minister seeking urgent intervention. The minister praised Kerala on its inoculation campaign and drive and further said that when vaccine consignments are transported to states by turn, Kerala will receive special consideration and priority.
In their written request, the MPs informed that the state policy was to vaccinate all of its residents. Currently 54.42 percent(1.3 crore) of the population has been injected with the first dose and 23 percent (56 lakhs) have received one dose. 18 lakh persons between ages 18 – 24 were administered shots in this month. 4.88 lakh people were given vaccine on Saturday alone.
The biggest problem confronting Kerala is lack of vaccine supplies from the centre. Not a single drop of the vaccine received in Kerala went to waste. Kerala in fact recorded a 105.8 % usage of the supplies received. However, the situation now is there remains no stock for even a one-day inoculation. On its visit to state, the team from centre was urged for 90 lakh doses on urgent basis. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan met with the Prime Minister personally too. In their letter to the union minister, the MPs had cited all these and requested urgent resolution. MPs who met with the Union Minster were : Elamaram Kareem, Binoi Viswam, Dr. V Sivadasan, Ka Somaprasad, Am Arif, MV Shreyas Kumar and John Brittas.
