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Bhubaneswar: Around 700 vaccination centres were closed down in Odisha after the State ran out of Covid-19 vaccine stock on Wednesday.
The vaccination drive was completely disrupted in Koraput district even as other districts witnessed smooth conduct of the inoculations.
However, the vaccination programme is going on in all districts today, Director, Health, Bijay Panigrahy said.
As many as 1.10 lakh people were vaccinated yesterday against the State’s target of 2 lakh due to shortage of vaccine, he said.
The State has a stock of 4,035, 320 Covishield doses and 1,014,490 Covaxin shots which will last for two and ten days respectively.
“We have written to the Centre requesting to provide 25 lakh doses for the next ten days to meet the target of 1 lakh inoculation daily. If vaccines don’t reach the State in the next two days, the inoculation drive would be affected. But, we hope vaccines will reach in time,” Panigrahy added.
Following the Central government directive, the State has geared up to carry out sessions at workplaces (both public and private sector). As per the Central guidelines, employees at an office aged above 45 years will be eligible for vaccination at work place, Panigrahy said.
The district task force will inspect the infrastructure at the work places in their respective districts before setting up of session sites, he said, adding that the drive at work place will begin from April 11.
Health Minister Naba Das on Wednesday wrote to the Union Health Minister seeking 25 lakh additional vaccines doses. Das said Odisha needs 2.5 lakh doses daily to meet the inoculation target.
“If vaccines don’t reach the State by this evening, vaccination programme would be halted from Saturday,” Das added.
Meanwhile, PHD Director Dr Niranjan Mishra said that Collectors and Municipal commissioners have been asked to keep Covid care centres ready for the institutional isolation of the asymptomatic patients and patients having mild symptoms.
“As many as 90% cases are asymptomatic. So, they need home isolation. But, those lacking facilities to isolate themselves at home would need institutional isolation,” Mishra said.
