Acute shortage in supply of Covid-19 vaccines have forced many city hospitals to suspend vaccination programme for an indefinite period at a time when there is an alarming spurt in the number of novel coronavirus cases in the state.
Today, several private hospitals, including the AMRI Hospital unit at Salt Lake, Belle Vue Clinic and others have put up notices saying no vaccine is available from 10 April. Vaccination programme would be resumed when vaccines are available, the notices stated.
“Yes, there is a shortfall in supply of Covid-19 vaccines in our state,” admitted Mr N S Nigam, state health secretary.
“Today, we have got only 10 out of our daily requirement of 25 vials. With these 10 vials 100 beneficiaries have been vaccinated so far. There is no more stock in our hospital and vaccinations have been suspended from tomorrow till further availability,” said Mr Pradip Tondon, chief administrative officer of Belle Vue Clinic. “We hope the crisis will be over shortly,” he said.
Bengal had a stock of around eight lakh vials of Covid vaccines left till Friday. On an average, three to four lakh vials are required across the state every day. “A vaccine consignment from the Centre was supposed to land in Kolkata on Friday but it didn’t come. If we don’t get fresh supply by Monday or Tuesday, vaccination will come to a stop. We asked the Centre on Friday to supply vaccines on an emergency basis,” an official in the health department said.
Several states have complained of shortage of supply of vaccines. Maharashtra has said it had to close many vaccination centres for want of doses.
Several hospitals in Calcutta had to temporarily stop vaccination on Friday because of the shortage. R N Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Science at Mukundapur also suspended its Covid-19 immunisation programme today after running out of stock.
“We have adequate stock of vaccines for at least one more week. We will arrange for more stock on Monday considering the shortfall in supply of the vaccines,” said Dr Rupali Basu, managing director and chief executive officer of Woodlands Multispeciality Hospital.
Sonia charge: Congress president Sonia Gandhi accused the Centre on Saturday of “mismanaging” the Covid situation and creating a vaccine shortage in the country by exporting it, as she called for cancelling all public gatherings and poll rallies in view of the rising number of coronavirus cases, PTI adds from New Delhi.