BHUBANESWAR: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement that vaccines to all above 18 years of age would be provided by the Centre, free of cost, from June 21.
Naveen, who had taken a lead in building a consensus among chief ministers to request the Centre to buy the Covid vaccines for the states, tweeted: Every life is precious.
No one is safe until every one is vaccinated.
As a nation we stand united in this fight against #Covid19 pandemic.
Thank PM Shri @narendramodi ji for making vaccination a national mission.
Citing poor response to tenders floated by the states to procure the vaccines from global players, Naveen had on June 2 written to his counterparts to step up the pressure on the Centre to procure the vaccines and distribute them among the states.
He had also sought to urge the Centre, along with the other states, to allow them flexibility in vaccine distribution.
Following the PM’s announcement, the government authorities said Odisha will not proceed further with the global e-tender to buy the Covid vaccines.
Additional chief secretary (health) Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra, said, “We are awaiting the official communication from the Centre.
The state government will take a decision after that.
However, if the Centre gives the vaccines, the state would obviously not proceed with the e-tender.” The Odisha State Medical Corporation Limited had floated the tender to buy 3.80 crore doses.
Two bidders have already applied to supply the vaccines.
The financial bid for the e-tender is scheduled to open on June 9.
On the state’s purchase orders already placed with Bharat Biotech and Serum Institute of India, Mohapatra said things will be clear after the Centre issues fresh set of guidelines.
Sources said the government will, however, not cancel the purchase orders for Covaxin and Covishield in a hurry and will wait for the Centre’s advice and guidelines on this.
Since the Centre’s move will be implemented from June 21, the state would continue the existing arrangements of vaccinating people in the 18-44 age group from the vaccines procured by it till then or as advised by the Centre, the sources added.