Dikhyaa Mohanty 
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced free Covid vaccination for all the people above 18 years of age to 45 years for nearly 19.3 million residents in the third phase of the world deadliest virus Covid-19 inoculation drive which is at an estimated cost of 2,000 crores.
On April 25 while addressing the people of the state through video conferencing, CM Patnaik informed that the Odisha Government will give out 2,000 crores from the exchequer to bear the cost of free vaccination for people from 18 to 45 years of age.
He announced that even as state officials feared that the number of daily infections will go past the 10,000 marks by the first week of May, registering higher mortalities than the first wave, before declining significantly from June first week. To which he made a major announcement that the Odisha Government will help universal vaccination of around 2 crore beneficiaries in the state.
He stated that if the people are not aware of their responsibilities then the government will not be able to fight the pandemic all on its own. He requested the people to realise this serious situation that we all are currently going through and each one of life is precious for the government.
“I request you with folded hands to religiously follow all Covid appropriate protocols. Wear masks; maintain social distancing at all costs. Until very necessary do not go out of the house,” he further added.
Health department officials said the state has placed orders for 37.7mn Covishield doses from Serum Institute and 1.034mn doses of Covaxin from Bharat Biotech. Odisha State Medical Corporation will procure the vaccines from the two manufacturers at the prices fixed by them. Covaxin was being administered only to people in the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation area while Covishield was being used in the rest of Odisha.
CM Patnaik further added in his speech that the state government does not favour enforcing lockdown or shutdown like restrictions at this moment because curbs are dealing with massive setbacks to the economic prospects in Odisha.
Pic Courtesy – Google
Due to the rise in Covid cases, the daily oxygen consumption in Odisha has passed the peak demand during the first wave of the pandemic last year. The peak oxygen demand in the Covid-ICUs was 23 MT per day last year, but it has now gone past 37 MT per day. Due to the presence of the steel plant in Odisha, the state has ample oxygen supply and the rise in the cases will still overwhelm the health infrastructure.
The health official also informed that though Odisha has over 20,000 Covid beds in dedicated hospitals, Covid care centres, the caregivers are tired after battling the pandemic for over a year. There is a limit to which the healthcare workers can be stretched. They are trying their best to deal with the rising cases, but it is not easy
The state has reported around 6,116 new cases, the number of active cases in the state crossed 42,000-mark, higher than last year’s peak. As of now, 17 Indian states which include Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar and Tamil Nadu have decided to vaccinate their population against the coronavirus disease free of cost.
