COVID-19 surge: CM Mamata Banerjee writes to PM Narendra Modi seeking 5.4 cr more vaccine doses

As the nation grapples with the second wave of COVID-19, Banerjee wrote to  Modi seeking his intervention in the state's battle against the virus.

Highlighting the lack of vaccine stock, she demanded an additional 5.4 crore vaccine doses to inoculate 2.7 crore citizens.

In the letter, the chief minister said she had written a letter to the Prime Minister on February 24 last to allow the state to purchase vaccination doses directly with state funds and launch a massive free vaccination campaign in the state covering the entire population.

However, the state has not received the requisite clearance yet, she said.

She said that while the state had offered to freely vaccinate all citizens by freeing up the SDRF, she said such permission was not given by the Centre.

Moreover, hit by shortage of Remdesivir - the drug used for treating COVID-19, the chief minister said that the state required 6,000 vials of Remdesivir and 1,000 vials of Tocilizumab daily, but had only 100 vials available.

Similarly, Banerjee sought the Prime Minister’s intervention in ensuring that government-run SAIL continues to supply adequate medical oxygen to the state's various hospitals.

“The number of cases in the state has also begun to increase sharply, particularly in view of coming of a large number of outsiders to the state for election campaign and other purposes at the behest of some political parties,” she wrote.

She further said that vaccination is of top importance, particularly in Kolkata where the density of the population is extremely high.

Accusing the Centre of erratic vaccine supply, the feisty the chief minister said it was hampering the vaccination programme.

“There’s shortage of Remdesivir and oxygen in country....Today there's no medicine in our country but medicines were sent to 80 countries. I don't have any problem if you send medicines, first provide it to your nation,” she added.