With the threat of a third pandemic wave looming large, chief minister Mamata Banerjee today said Bengal needs a total of 14 crore doses, including for children, while the state government has completed about 75 per cent of vaccination in Kolkata.
Miss Banerjee, during her address at Ahindra Manch, today said that the state is receiving inadequate vaccines from the centre when the requirement is about 14 crore doses.
Her comment comes in the wake of several incidents unfolding at various vaccination centres in the state due to vaccine paucity. Chaos and scuffles have been reported after many who were waiting in queues since midnight was asked to return without vaccines due to lack of supply.
People complained of what they termed as harassment since they had to leave all their work for a whole day to get their vaccines. Many have complained it affected their daily living.
Miss Banerjee said, “We are giving about 10 to 12 lakh doses every day but we are helpless if the Centre doesn’t send us adequate supply. I have come to know of the chaos that is taking place in inoculation centres due to this but I appeal to all to have patience since we are trying our best to vaccinate everyone.”
She highlighted that the state has completed vaccination of over four crore people in this state and has requested the centre for more doses. Talking about the vaccination rate in the city, she pointed out that in Kolkata, 75 per cent of vaccination is completed while efforts are on to inoculate the rest.
The city in recent times has witnessed a severe vaccine crunch where the Kolkata Municipal Corporation ran out of Covishield doses which are administered in large numbers than Covaxin.
A large consignment of vaccines recently reached the city airport. About 29 boxes of Covid vaccine arrived in an AirVistara flight, 90 boxes in an AirAsia flight and 84 boxes in an IndiGo flight reached Kolkata from Pune and were handed over to the state health officials.