Panaji: The state president of the Nationalist Congress Party, Jose Philip D’Souza has said that vaccination is the only solution to bring the COVID infection surge under control in Goa.

“The two doses of the vaccine required for immunisation can be administered within 6 to 8 weeks and the entire eligible population of Goa could have been immunised within two months maximum,” he added, pointing out that it is over three-and-a-half months now since the vaccination has started in Goa, however, the vaccination drive that the government is conducting is moving at a snail’s pace.

“This current surge in the COVID infection and death mortality could have been prevented if the government had responsibly vaccinated the entire eligible population,” D’Souza maintained in a press release.

“There is data to suggest that countries that have responsibly administered the vaccination on war footing have managed to bring the infection spread under total control,” he stated, demanding that the Bharatiya Janata Party government under the leadership of Pramod Sawant warrants an immediate explanation on how it intends to bring the spread of the infection down and should clarify the emergency plan to vaccinate the maximum eligible population.

The state NCP chief further said that the government also owes the citizens an immediate explanation on the ongoing panic due to shortage of hospital beds, ICU beds, ventilators, inadequate oxygen supply, and the reason behind the rising number of deaths at the government-run hospitals as compared to the private hospitals in the state.

“The NCP also demands that the government immediately procure sufficient vaccines doses and start vaccination of the citizens in the age group of 18 to 45 years as it is seen that the COVID fatalities are rising in numbers among this age group too,” the press release said.