Maha urges centre to supply jabs as the state faces shortage of doses

As Maharashtra faced a shortage of Covid-19 vaccines, it had to shut down several vaccination centres on Wednesday. The state Health Minister Rajesh Tope said that it has already requested the Centre to provide adequate stock as it has set a target of inoculating 600,000 beneficiaries a day.

Maharashtra tops the chart in vaccinating maximum beneficiaries across the country. Currently, it is covering 450,000 beneficiaries a day and the health minister guaranteed that it will cross the 600,000 mark in the next two-three days, provided it gets adequate stock from the Centre.

The state is left with 1,400,000 vaccine doses, which will last only three days. It has demanded a stock of four million doses a week from the Centre.

Tope urged the Centre to prioritise Maharashtra and if required, delay stock supplies to other states as it is the most affected state in the country. The demand to the Centre was made in a video conference meeting chaired by the union minister of health and family welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan. Tope attended the meeting along with the health minister from six other states on Tuesday evening.