DMK chief Stalin urges PM Modi to dispatch 20 lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses to TN

DMK president M K Stalin onSunday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to direct officialsto send 20 lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses requisitioned by theTamil Nadu government immediately and ensure suppliescommensurate with the states population.

In view of rapid increase in the number of peoplegetting infected by COVID-19, universal vaccination is theneed of the hour to protect lives, the DMK chief said in aletter to the Prime Minister and appealed to him to take apolicy decision swiftly, over it.

Tamil Nadu would need more vaccine doses than allottednow to accomplish effective vaccinations, break the cycle ofinfection and flatten the curve, he said.

Now, there was a huge shortage of vaccines acrossthe state and there are news reports to suggest that thepeople who visit government hospitals for vaccination werereturning for want of vaccine availability, Stalin, the leaderof opposition claimed.

Stalin requested Modi to intervene and direct theMinistry handling the matter “to supply more number of Covaxinand Covishield vaccines to Tamil Nadu commensurate with thepopulation of the state besides immediately sending 20 lakhvaccines (doses) as requisitioned by the state government.” The Centre should allow states to independentlyprocure drugs, vaccines and medical equipment as the pandemicaffected states could not wait every time for Centres nod foreach and everything, he said.

Tamil Nadu had on Saturday reported 9,344 new COVID-19cases pushing the caseload to 9,80,728.

Till date, only 46.70 lakh people have beenvaccinated out of which, 40.64 lakh were administered thefirst dose and 6.05 lakh the second dose, he said.

Tamil Nadu Assembly polls were held on April 6 andcounting of votes is scheduled for May 2.

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