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Many states in India have declared that they will vaccinate people free of cost and now joining the bandwagon Maharashtra government also announced that they will vaccinate all its citizens free of cost. Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik on Sunday announced that the state government will vaccinate all its citizens free of cost.
On Saturday, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said that the state government will float a global tender for COVID-19 vaccines and Remdesivir injections.
As the Union government has allowed vaccination of people in the age group of 18 to 45, the state will start an inoculation drive for this category from May 1, he said.
Pawar, who also handles the finance portfolio, was speaking to reporters after holding a review meeting on the COVID-19 situation in Pune.
“We have decided to float a global tender for vaccines and Remdesivir (used for the treatment of COVID-19) through a committee headed by chief secretary Sitaram Kunte,” he said.
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has discussed vaccine availability with Adar Poonawalla, CEO of the Serum Institute of India, the maker of the Covishield vaccine, Pawar said.
Poonawalla expressed inability to meet the state’s full requirement, he claimed.
“He told us he will give us vaccine doses as per his capacity and asked us to procure remaining doses from other companies,” said Pawar.
“We will ensure that the state gets vaccines from foreign manufacturers in coordination with the Union government,” he said.
