From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, May 11: The state government will be purchasing 2 crore doses of vaccines against the Covid pandemic by floating global tenders, deputy chief minister and Covid Task Force chief Dr C N Ashwath Narayan announced in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

The deputy chief minister, who also heads the higher education portfolio, said the state government has already placed orders for 3 crore doses of vaccine, including 1 crore doses of Covaxine and 2 crore doses of Covishield vaccines.

The demand for vaccines has sharply risen in the state after the start of the vaccination of all above 18 years, he said.

Health and family welfare department additional principal secretary Jawaid Akhtar, designated chief for purchases of medicines, Anjum Parvez, State Drugs Supply Company managing director, Latha Kumar and health department director, Om Prakash Patil participated in the meeting of the Covid Task Force held under the chairmanship of Dr Narayan.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, the deputy chief minister said the state government was not directly purchasing vaccines in the open market through private companies so far as it was depending only on the supplies by the Centre so far.

"We have now decided to invite the tenders. Any company can participate in the tenders. We want to complete the process within seven days and ensure that the successful company starts delivery of the vaccines,’’ he said.

City people shouldn’t go to villages for Vax jabs

The deputy chief minister said the people from the cities and urban centres need not go to villages to get themselves vaccinated as it will affect the vaccination in rural areas. Arrangements are being made to ensure that sufficient quantities of vaccine doses are made available in all cities and urban centres.

Detailed guidelines on the vaccination drive are being issued, he said.

Dr Narayan said the Covid Task Force has directed the officials to purchase 1 lac pulse oximeters necessary for the treatment of Covid patients under home isolation treatment. The pulse oximeters will be distributed to all districts and taluks.

Purchase of 1 lac pulse oximeters

The responsibility of safe custody and return of the pulse oximeters after the recovery of the home isolation patients will be the responsibility of each of the district and taluk health officers concerned. The government wants to create a pulse oximeter bank for emergency uses, he said.

The Covid Task Force has already purchased 10 lac Ivermectin tablets needed for the treatment of Covid patients. The distribution of the Ivermectin tablets will be started from May 14 throughout the state.

I have directed the purchase of another 25 lac Ivermectin tablets, 35 lac Zinc tablets and 1 crore Colchicine tablets,’’ he said adding: "These essential tablets must be available in all government hospitals for the Covid patients and will be supplied to all district, taluk as well as primary health centres and community health centres.

The deputy chief minister said the Covid Task Force has decided to purchase 37 lac RT-PCR kits. The state already has 10.50 lac RAT kits, which are being distributed throughout the state at 50,000 per day, he said.

Dr Narayan made it clear that Covid infected patients must be subjected to a physical examination before admission in private hospitals so as to ensure that patients will serious and critical conditions are able to get beds. Directions in this regard are being issued to all officials, he said.

He also spoke to chief secretary P Ravikumar and directed that strict action must be taken against companies that have failed to deliver the required quantities of Remdesivir anti-viral drugs despite the issuance of notice.