Chandigarh, April 21
State’s Covid vaccine stocks seems to be drying up at a rapid pace as last week (April 13 to 19) the Health Department administered 25 per cent less doses of vaccination compared to the previous week.
As per the data of the Health Department, between April 5 and 12, the department administered 7.53 lakh doses. However, in the last week (April 13 to 19), it administered just 5.56 lakh doses of the vaccine.
As per a reality check made in the field, several districts of Punjab are facing shortage of vaccine. A large number of people who require second dose are being sent back on the pretext of shortage. In Moga and Barnala, the stock of Covishield had dried up.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said the state government had a strong health infrastructure and the capacity to vaccinate at least 3 lakh persons in a day through more than 3,000 government health centres, but due to lesser supply of vaccine from the Centre, the state was not able to achieve the target.
Even CM Capt Amarinder Singh had raised the issue of shortage of vaccine during a virtual meeting with the Centre and demanded immediate supplies of vaccines and quick approval for two new oxygen plants in the state amid concerns over depleting stocks of both.
