IT Desk
Something seems to be seriously wrong with the Vaccination drive for Covd-19 in the state of Manipur with no rigid policy to speed up the vaccination of those in need with the available stocks. Assurances to increase the number of vaccination centers in Imphal East and West districts for age between 18 to 44 years, by Health department authority yesterday turns as a joke with none between this age group who have already registered through cowin application were vaccinated yesterday.
Imphal Times yesterday had reported that only 1,828 people within age group 18 to 44 were vaccinated on the first day of the 3rd vaccination programme when the total population of this age group is 14, 29,503 as per the 2011 census report. The second day , i.e on May 18, after some authority of the State Health Department had posted for an increase of vaccination center in Imphal East and Imphal West district vaccination of this age group was reported nil.
As per the data released from the authority the total number of people above 45 years and those working in the health sectors and other frontline workers who got first dose vaccination was 4,805 and those who got 2nd dose vaccination was 204 people for the entire state of Manipur.
As per record with the health department the total number of people so far vaccinated with Covishield is 3,23,391 and the total number of people who got 2nd dose vaccine as on May 18 was 79,441. So arithmetic shows that the total doses so far vaccinated is 3,23,391 + 79,441 + 79,441 = 4,82,271 people. Among this only 1,828 people are between age group 18 to 44.
The total number Covishield vaccine doses received by the state as on May 12 , 2021 was 5,52,230 doses. The first package of Covishield vaccine received by the state government from the center was on January 13, 2021. A total of 54,000 doses were received. Later on January 20 another dose of 48,000 was received. The largest quantity i.e. 2,45,000 doses of Covishield Vaccine was received on February 12. On March 5, state received 17,360 doses of Covishield vaccines, another 23,030 doses was received on April 5. On Aril 26, 50,000 doses of covishield was received and another 75,000 doses was received some few days later. That was the time when vaccination at private centers have to be put on halt due to limitated stock of the vaccines with the state government.
Later on May 12 , 39,840 doses of covishield were received and the vaccine received on the day has been announced for starting of the 3rd phase programme. So, the total vaccine received till May 12 was 5,52,230 .
In a letter from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Immunization division of the government of India another 50,000 doses of covishield has been allocated and state authority is likely to receive it either today or tomorrow. With this additional number of doses, the total doses of covishield vaccines received by the state is 6,02,230 doses. So the number of covishield vaccine doses in stock with the state authority is 1,29,925.
The stock of covishield vaccine doses in stock with the state government is inadequate as there are around 15 lakhs plus people (approximately) yet to be vaccinated. However, if the state authority are serious enough then this doses left can reach out to people in need in just one or two days. And it is irrelevent to blame the cowin registration as mandatory as the government will not find difficult to utilized computer technicians from other departments to speed up the registration as it was stated mandatory.
As per the data of vaccination available in the last few days vaccinations done per day was on an average of around 6000. This means to complete the remaining doses in stock with the state vaccine store, under the Manipur state health department, it will take almost 8 months to complete it.
And as per sources from the Union Ministry of Health and family welfare department, the dispatching of vaccine are done base on the performance and vaccine requirements.
With this slow and steady policy in the vaccination drive being seen today, there is no wrong to say that Covid-19 vaccination is a total flop in the state.
