Free ration for 80 crore poor people in the country extended till Diwali
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said 75 per cent of total vaccines in the country will be procured by the Centre directly and distributed free of cost to states.
Addressing the nation over the prevailing COVID-19 crisis, he said “bew health infrastructure has been developed in last one and a half year with COVID hospitals, ventilator beds, to preparing a network of test labs. Describing COVID-19 as the biggest epidemic to have struck in the last century, he said the demand for medical oxygen during the second wave in April-May, increased at an unprecedented rate. The country tackled it on a war footing, he added.
He also said that states will no longer be involved in the procurement of vaccines, reiterating that private sector will continue to have access of 25 percent of total vaccines manufactured in the country.
His address comes on a day India reported 1,00,636 fresh COVID-19 cases, the lowest in 61 days.
The Centre’s decision came after more and more states had been asking the Centre to step in after having drawn a blank in global tenders to purchase vaccines. On May 1, the Centre had expanded vaccine coverage to the 18-44 age group, opened the market, introduced differential pricing and public-private split in supplies.
The Prime Minister announced the central government will provide free vaccine doses for all citizens above the age of 18 after June 21 adding state governments will not have to spend money on procuring them.
He also said free food grains will be available in fixed quantity every month for over 800 million citizens till Diwali.
In his previous address to the country on April 20, Modi ruled out the possibility of a second nationwide lockdown and said that states should opt for it as a last resort. India had witnessed its worst health crisis during this month as daily cases and deaths spiked to an all time high which led to a near collapse of the health infrastructure. Hospitals across grappled with severe shortage of oxygen supplies, beds, vaccine doses and essential anti-viral drugs such as Remdesivir.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said 75 per cent of total vaccines in the country will be procured by the Centre directly and distributed free of cost to states.
Addressing the nation over the prevailing COVID-19 crisis, he said “bew health infrastructure has been developed in last one and a half year with COVID hospitals, ventilator beds, to preparing a network of test labs. Describing COVID-19 as the biggest epidemic to have struck in the last century, he said the demand for medical oxygen during the second wave in April-May, increased at an unprecedented rate. The country tackled it on a war footing, he added.
He also said that states will no longer be involved in the procurement of vaccines, reiterating that private sector will continue to have access of 25 percent of total vaccines manufactured in the country.
His address comes on a day India reported 1,00,636 fresh COVID-19 cases, the lowest in 61 days.
The Centre’s decision came after more and more states had been asking the Centre to step in after having drawn a blank in global tenders to purchase vaccines. On May 1, the Centre had expanded vaccine coverage to the 18-44 age group, opened the market, introduced differential pricing and public-private split in supplies.
The Prime Minister announced the central government will provide free vaccine doses for all citizens above the age of 18 after June 21 adding state governments will not have to spend money on procuring them.
He also said free food grains will be available in fixed quantity every month for over 800 million citizens till Diwali.
In his previous address to the country on April 20, Modi ruled out the possibility of a second nationwide lockdown and said that states should opt for it as a last resort. India had witnessed its worst health crisis during this month as daily cases and deaths spiked to an all time high which led to a near collapse of the health infrastructure. Hospitals across grappled with severe shortage of oxygen supplies, beds, vaccine doses and essential anti-viral drugs such as Remdesivir.
