Amid a shortage of vaccines in Pimpri-Chinchwad, Mayor Usha Dhore said the civic body is planning to float global tenders to purchase at least 15 lakh doses.
The vaccination centres in the area will be closed today as the civic body has run out of vaccine stocks. “Citizens are urged not to crowd the vaccination centres as no centre will remain open,” the health department officials said. The PCMC is expecting the stock of vaccine from the State Health Department by afternoon. “We will announce Tuesday’s plan in the evening after receipt of the stock,” officials.
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The mayor said she has also held a discussion with Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar regarding the civic body’s plan to purchase the vaccines directly. “The Deputy Chief Minister himself later announced that there was no need for state government permission for civic body’s to make a purchase of the vaccines. The civic body can purchase the vaccines on their own,” she said.
The mayor said once PCMC purchases the vaccine, it can vaccinate the entire industrial city which will help in containing the spread of the virus. “Currently, we are facing an issue of inadequate supply of the vaccines. Since we are not getting adequate stock, we have to keep several of our vaccination centres closed. Citizens are every day crowding the centres and forming long queues. This is dangerous as it can lead to the spread of the virus. Therefore, we plan to purchase the vaccine and keep an adequate stock. We can then properly hold the process without overcrowding,” she said.
The mayor said since BMC and PMC have also ready decided to purchase vaccines directly, PCMC will be the third civic body in the state to do so. “This will help in containing the virus as we are also facing the possibility of a third wave. If we don’t act now, it will create further problems in future…The PCMC commissioner has already given instructions to the standing committee about the purchase of vaccine,” she said.
