The Maradu municipal council on Tuesday decided to explore the scope for direct purchase of COVID-19 vaccine using its own fund notwithstanding the boycott of the opposition in protest against the move.
The meeting, which was held online owing to the pandemic restrictions, reached such a decision in the face of apprehensions over not being able to administer the second jab to 3,000-odd people in the municipality aged over 60 years.
It was observed that though they were supposed to get the second dose after 28 days, vaccine was unavailable even after 45 days.
The council decided to approach the District Collector seeking to arrange the second dose at the earliest failing which the municipality would explore the scope for the purchase of vaccine using its own fund.
However, the opposition Left Democratic Front didn’t agree with the decision and insisted that the vaccine should be purchased by the State government.
The municipal health standing committee had last month decided to move before the council the proposal for purchasing vaccines for those aged above 60 directly using its own fund subjected to the approval of the government.
The council has also expressed its willingness to purchase vaccines even for those aged above 45 years.
“The opposition decision to boycott the council meeting approving the purchase of vaccine using own fund is a challenge to the people of Maradu. They should have stood with the council disregarding political differences,” said municipal chairman Antony Ashanparambil.
He said that the municipality will undertake follow-up measures for the purchase of vaccine as soon as the government approves it.
