Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturdayurged the Prime Minister to make the Central Government the single agency forprocurement and distribution of vaccine for 18-44 age group.
“Vaccination of the entire eligible population,especially in a pandemic situation, is the responsibility of the CentralGovernment as any non-inclusion can undermine the rest of the collectiveeffort,” the Chief Minister said in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Citing the experience of the past three weeks, whenvarious states “have been making their individual efforts to source the vaccinefrom domestic producers as well as from abroad,” the Chief Minister said theGovernment of India (GoI) should immediately undertake sourcing of all vaccine,as a single agency.
The GoI should ensure vaccine distribution across allStates and Union Territories through clinical establishment for propervaccination of the 18-44 age group.
Captain Amarinder pointed out that he had even earliersuggested that, in view of the modalities of supply chain management, it wouldbe operationally and financially most expedient if the entire procurement andsupply of vaccine is done through the Union Government for all age groups,including persons in the 18-44 years group where States have been allowed bythe Centre to directly procure vaccine.