Hyderabad: India will produce 259 crore doses of different Covid-19 vaccines by the end of 2021, Foreign Secretary G. Kishan Reddy said Thursday.
He claims that the center is doing everything in its power to increase the production of vaccines in the country, and expressed confidence that by December the monthly production of Covid vaccines will increase to 59 doses.
The minister told reporters after visiting ENT hospital here by the government that 16 companies were going to manufacture the vaccines in the country.
“Three businesses have already started production, while some more will start by August-September,” he said.
He said Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin formula would be shared with five companies that would manufacture the vaccine to meet demand.
While Dr Reddy’s laboratory produces Sputnik V under a pilot, a total of seven companies in India will manufacture the Russian vaccine.
He said Biological E would soon begin production of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine in the country. ‘If Johnson & Johnson vaccine comes, one dose is enough. “Other vaccines will be available in two doses, while Zydus Cadila’s vaccine will have three doses,” he said.
Reddy revealed that the center made arrangements for the production of 8.80 crore vaccines in May. The number will rise to 10 million in June, 17 million in July, 19 million in August and 42 million in September.
‘Production will be further increased to 46 million in October and 56 million in November. By December, the monthly production of vaccines will be 59 million, ”he said.
The minister said the government would ensure the vaccination of as many people as possible by the end of this year.
About black fungal cases
Kishan Reddy, who visited the ENT hospital designated as a nodal hospital for the treatment of Mucormycosis, also known as black fungus, said the government was also taking steps to reduce the shortage of Liposomal Amphotericin B injection for the treatment of black to overcome fungi.
He said the central and state governments were waging war to increase drug production. There are 11 pharmaceutical companies in India that manufacture Liposomal Amphotericin B.
He assured that the government would, if necessary, provide assistance to the companies and provide raw materials to increase production.
Reddy said the government is also taking steps to import the drug from different countries. Two lakh injections will be introduced in the first week of June. He hoped it would help overcome the shortage.
He claims that the center from the currently available stock allocates to states based on their need and the number of cases of black fungi. He pointed out that Telangana provided 5690 vials of the injection.
Reddy said that hospitals got one case of black fungus in six months and that pharmaceutical companies reduced the production of the drug. He pointed out that black fungi are reported in diabetics who post-Covid complications.
The ENT hospital has 120-150 beds, but given the increase in the number of cases, officials are trying to increase it to 250.
Source: The Siasat Daily