MUMBAI: In the ongoing Covid-19 vaccination drive, Maharashtra on 11 May crossed the 1.82 crore mark. Citing vaccine shortage in Maharashtra and in Mumbai, Maharashtra Tourism And Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray, who is also the guardian minister of Mumbai Suburban, said that the state is now looking at possibilities of global procurement of Covid-19 vaccines to meet the inoculation demand.
Maharashtra–the state where Covid-19 has taken the maximum toll–is considering looking at the possibility of importing vaccines directly for the use of citizens in Mumbai. Thackeray tweeted, “Looking at the need for adequate vaccines to ensure that vaccination is swift & efficient, after discussing the issue with CM Uddhav Thackerayji, as guardian minister of Mumbai, we have asked @mybmc to explore possibilities of global procurement of vaccines.” Aaditya also tweeted about increasing vaccination centres to have one in every municipal ward; the road map for administering the second shot for every age group will be published soon.
Aaditya Thackeray met BMC Commissioner Iqbal Chahal and Assistant Municipal Commissioner Suresh Kakani on Tuesday to discuss and work out on a strategy and roadmap for administering the second shot to all age groups in time, on communication and slots for those not tech savvy or on social media, on activation of 227 ward vaccination centres.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a different app than Co-WIN for its registration because with many people on the app at a time, it is difficult to get appointments.
Aaditya, who has been speaking about a possible third wave, also discussed about preparations for the same. “As for the possible third wave, while we add jumbo Covid care centres to increase bed and ICU capacity, we are also taking advice from Task Force of pediatricians constituted by CM Uddhav Thackerayji to prepare for Covid cases in children, if the need arises,” he tweeted.
