Facing vaccine shortage, Punjab Govt writes to Centre

Ravneet Singh

Patiala, April 5

While the state is again witnessing a surge in Covid-19 cases, the state Health Department is facing a shortage of vaccines. Despite having raised the demand for the supply with the Central Government, the state is facing the shortage since April 1.

The department has already started directing people to avoid crowded places and wear masks whenever they go out of their houses in view of Covid spread. In Patiala, the district department on Wednesday also made it mandatory for officials at health institutions to wear masks at all times. On average, the state is recording as many as over 40 new cases daily. The department said 100 fresh cases were reported in Punjab on April 5. Of these, the highest number, 47 were reported from Mohali, followed by 10 each in Hoshiarpur and Ludhiana. Currently, there are 437 active cases in the state.

State programme officer for Covid-19 control Dr Rajesh Bhaskar today said the department started facing the shortage from April 1. “We have already written to the Central Government and raised the demand for vaccines. The government is expected to supply vaccines at the earliest.”

Health officials in Patiala said the department had recorded four new cases in the district on Wednesday, taking the total of active cases to 19.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh, who today visited Government Rajindra Hospital, to review the arrangements at the isolation ward said the state government was well prepared with requisite bed capacity and ventilators in hospitals, besides, having adequate masks and PPE and testing kits.

Minister visits hospital

Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh visited Government Rajindra Hospital to review arrangements at the isolation ward. He said the state government was prepared with requisite bed capacity and ventilators at hospitals, besides having adequate masks, PPE & testing kits.