Baghel writes to PM Modi, seeks 1 cr COVID-19 vaccine doses for Chhattisgarh in July

Raipur: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide at least one crore doses of vaccines against COVID-19 to the state next month, an official said here on Tuesday. In a letter to the PM, Baghel informed him that 9,98,810 vaccine doses were left in the state, which will be sufficient only for three days, the official from the public relations department said.

“Despite repeated demand, sufficient stock of vaccines is not being provided to the state,” the chief minister said in the letter. Baghel said Chhattisgarh has set a target of administering first dose of the vaccine to all eligible beneficiaries in a month, and requested the prime minister to immediately direct the Union Health Ministry to provide one crore doses to the state in July, the official said.

The chief minister further said the inoculation drive is being carried out at a fast pace in the state where over three lakh people are currently being vaccinated every day. So far, 71 per cent of frontline personnel and 70 per cent of health workers have received both doses of the vaccine, while 100 per cent of the frontline staff and 91 per cent health workers have received the first dose, he said. Besides, nearly 80 per cent of the citizens aged 45 and above have been given the first dose, while 16 per cent of beneficiaries in the 18-44 age category have received the first dose, since the vaccination drive commenced for them.