BHUBANESWAR: After Covid-19 vaccine, Odisha is staring at shortage of 0.5 ml auto-disable (AD)
syringes for the vaccination of people aged 18 to 44 years.
Sources said as per the vaccine strategy of the Centre, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare was to provide the vaccine and syringes for vaccination of healthcare and frontline workers and people aged 45 years and above.
Accordingly, the State government had sought 10 crore syringes and in the first phase it had received around two crore syringes.
But after the Centre allowed States for direct purchase of vaccines for the 18 plus age group, several States including Odisha are facing shortage of AD syringes. With most of the syringes produced in the country booked by the Centre, syringe manufacturers are not participating in tenders for the State supply.
No bidder has turned up for the tender floated twice by the Odisha State Medical Corporation Limited (OSMCL) for procurement of 1.06 crore 0.5 ml AD syringes in the last one month.
Sources said there are three manufacturers of 0.5 ml auto-disable syringes in the country. While 80 per cent of the stock has been booked by the Centre, the rest 20 pc is allowed for export leaving no stock for the States.
Even as the State Government has sufficient doses of Covaxin to be administered to the 18-44 years population in Bhubaneswar, shortage of syringe could possibly be the reason for the slow pace of vaccination of this group.
Additional Chief Secretary of Health PK Mohapatra denied that the State faces immediate shortage of AD syringes. "But yes, no bidder did participate in the tender for procurement of syringes. We are now working on three options. While a decision has been taken to go for global bidding, a local manufacturer has been approached for manufacturing of 0.5 ml AD syringe in his unit if possible," he said.
Mohapatra said some big industrial houses will be urged to come forward to help the State in arranging the AD syringes from foreign countries. "We have plus size syringes, but if those are used, the vaccine wastage will be high," he added.