Mumbai floats tender to import 1 crore vaccines
PremiumThe Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation in a notification said global and local manufacturers can submit their interest for the same during May 12-18
Mumbai: The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) on Wednesday floated global tenders to acquire one crore doses of covid-19 vaccine to inoculate its citizens.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation in a notification said global and local manufacturers can submit their interest for the same during May 12-18. “BMC has resolved to make every possible effort in future also to acquire sufficient quantity of Covid-19 vaccines to vaccinate all eligible citizens of Mumbai on a war-footing in the next 60-90 days," Municipal Commissioner IS Chahal said.
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Chahal added that MCGM has resolved to make every possible effort in future also to acquire a sufficient quantity of covid vaccines to vaccinate all eligible citizens of Mumbai on a war footing in the next 60-90 days.
Maharashtra is facing a shortage of coronavirus vaccines and as a result, suspended vaccination drive for the 18-44 age group.
State Health Minister Rajesh Tope said on May 12 that vaccination for the 18+ age group will begin once it receives a promised consignment of 1.5 crores of Covishield from the Serum Institute of India (SII) later this month.
According to the tender, vaccines shall be delivered within three weeks after issuing of the purchase order and Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers, their Indian partners, wholesalers of manufacturers, authorised distributors of manufacturers can participate in the tendering process.
Also, applicants to the global tender should have their own cold chain transportation system from their unit or should have a valid contract with a transporting agent having facilities to transport the vaccines under cold chain norms to the storage facility, hospitals or vaccination centres within its jurisdiction.
The BMC has two “walk-in coolers" of 40 cubic metres capacity each, which can be used to store the vaccines at temperature requirement other than that available with the BMC. The applicant will have to provide the required storage facility for the vaccine till the vaccination points, which include 20 state-run hospitals and 240 vaccination centres.
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