Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 13

Faced with the shortage of vaccine amid the second wave of the Covid pandemic, the Punjab Cabinet has decided to join the COVAX facility alliance for global sourcing and procurement of Covid vaccines at best price, becoming the first state to take such an initiative.

Nod to purchase of Rs152.56-cr medical stuff

• The Cabinet on Thursday gave the approval for the procurement of hospital material worth Rs152.56 crore by various departments. It also cleared the recruitment of 250 MBBS medical officers through Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot, after taking the recruitment process out of the purview of PPSC
• As many as 192 medical officers were given their appointment letters on Thursday. Ministers OP Soni and Brahm Mohindra raised the issue of inadequate salaries of medical staff

The Cabinet has also decided to start from tomorrow vaccination for families of healthcare workers in government and private sectors as well as those suffering from co-morbidities in the 18-44 years’ category. It also approved the purchase of Covaxin for industrial workers for whose vaccination the industry has expressed willingness to pay.

Reviewing the Covid situation, CM Capt Amarinder Singh directed a judicious use of the limited available stocks of vaccine as the positivity rate for the week ending May 12 stood at 14.2 per cent and CFR at 2.1 per cent. The Health Department was also directed to kick-start the vaccination drive for the priority groups from schools and other buildings to prevent crowding at government hospitals.

Briefing the Cabinet, Dr Gagandeep Kang, a special invitee, said with the preliminary data showing vaccines working better against Covid than expected, including against the mutant B.1.617 variety, a targeted response to the vaccination programme was needed. She suggested more extensive use of Covishield as it offered high efficacy even with a single dose, while the second dose could be extended up to 12 weeks. Dr Kang suggested that the Government of India should be requested to include obesity in the list of comorbidities for vaccination priority.

Health Secretary Hussan Lal informed the Cabinet that of the 30 lakh Covishield doses ordered by the state government, the Serum Institute of India had so far confirmed 4.29 lakh, of which one lakh had been received.

Lal further apprised the Cabinet that for the 45+ age group, the last tranche of Covishield vaccine (1,63,710 doses) was received on May 9, taking the total to 42,48,560. As many as 3,45,000 doses were given to the armed forces, while the total utilisation stood at 39,03,560. For Covaxin in the 45+ category, the last tranche of vaccine received was of 75,000 doses (May 6), taking the total received to 4,09,080, of which utilisation till date was 3,52,080, leaving the availability of only 57,000 now.