Maharashtra seeks 2.20 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses from Centre

Mumbai, Mar 16: Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope has demanded 2.20 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses from the Centre for the ongoing inoculation drive in the state.

He requested the Centre to supply 20 lakh doses per week to the state, as per a letter dated March 15 written to Union health minister by Tope, who went to Delhi on Tuesday.

"The state is planning to immunise 60-plus age group and 45-plus population with co-morbidities. It needs supply of 2.20 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccine (Covishield and Covaxin) during the next three-and-a-half months. You are requested to supply 20 lakh doses per week to Maharashtra," Tope said in the letter.

Maharashtra has been the worst hit by the coronavirus infection in the country.

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan recently wrote a letter to Maharashtra Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte, expressing disappointment over the state''s measures to curb spread of the coronavirus infection.

The state does not seem to be serious about controlling the situation, the letter said.

A central delegation visited Maharashtra between March 7 and 11 and also discussed the COVID-19 situation with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

On Monday, Maharashtra reported 15,051 new cases of coronavirus, taking the state''s caseload to 23,29,464, while 48 fatalities took the death toll to 52,909, according to the health department.