Vikash Sharma

News Highlights

  • Odisha has a stock of 3.38 lakh doses of Covishield, which will be utilised in the next two days.

Ten new nursing colleges with a capacity of 60 seats each will be set up in different parts of Odisha, Health Minister Naba Das said on Monday.

While talking to reporters on the sidelines of a vaccination camp in Jharsguda, Das informed that the nursing colleges will come up in Mayurbhanj, Balangir, Koraput, Balasore, Jharsuguda, Puri, Sundergarh, Angul, Keonjhar and Jajpur districts. Apart from this, a Pharmacy college will be attached to each of the three existing medical colleges and hospitals in the State, Das said.

“The State government is taking all possible measures to improve the health infrastructure and steps are also being taken to combat the anticipated third wave of Covid-19,” said Das.

In another development, Das today urged the Centre to provide additional stock of Covid-19 vaccines to Odisha.

In a letter to Union Health & Family Welfare Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, Das requested the former to provide additional, 6 lakh doses of Covishiled vaccine to continue the ongoing vaccination drive in the State.

Odisha received 13,78,310 doses of Covishield as per the allocation for June (2nd fortnight).

The stock has been supplied to all districts and the State now is left with a remaining stock of only 3.38 lakh doses of Covishield vaccines.

“As of today, we have a stock of 3.38 lakh doses of Covishield, which will be utilised in the next two days. From Tuesday onwards, the State will be out of Covishield dtockin the,” wrote Das in his letter.

It is pertinent to mention here that since January 16, Odisha has administered 1.14 crore doses of vaccines to citizens and maintained a negative wastage of 3 per cent while saving 2.9 lakh doses.

Since June 21, Odisha is vaccinating, on an average, 3 lakh citizens per day and the State has a capacity to vaccinate 3.5 lakh citizens per day.

“You are requested to allocate an additional 6 lakh doses of Covishield to Odisha for the month of June to manage sessions smoothly. It is further requested that vaccine pre-positioning may be done so as to prevent any event of stock-out in the State,” the letter added.

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