Tamil Nadu CM announces global tender to import COVID vaccine; wants Oxygen quota raised

Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin announced on Wednesday the state government's decision to import COVID-19 vaccines via a global contract in order to meet the state's demands. Citing that the Centre-allocated 13 lakh vaccine doses for the inoculation of persons between 18 & 44 years of age was insufficient, the newly elected Tamil Nadu CM announced that a global tender would be floated to procure vaccines from manufacturers around the globe. Tamil Nadu govt's decision on the import of vaccines comes at the same time as 12 Opposition party leaders writing to PM Modi demanding vaccines to be procured from all available resources - globally and locally - and to make the inoculation drive universal and free for all, among other suggestions. 

Tamil Nadu CM announces decision to import COVID vaccines

("The 13 lakh allocated COVID-19 vaccine doses by the Union Government for 18-45-year-olds are not enough. Therefore, the Government of Tamil Nadu has decided to import the required vaccines through a global contract and pay them to all within a short period of time")

The Tamil Nadu CM also sought the oxygen allocated to the state by the Centre to be increased from the existing 280 MT to 419 MT in view of the rising number of COVID cases in the state. Stalin noted that the state govt was taking all steps to ensure oxygen was transported from factories in other states to Tamil Nadu and in the distribution of oxygen to hospitals. Tamil Nadu's Revenue minister, Industrial minister, Health Minister MA Subramanian, Finance Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan, the Chief Secretary, the Health Secretary, the Revenue Secretary attended the meeting with CM MK Stalin. 

(Tamil Nadu needs more than the 419 metric tons of oxygen allocated by the Union Govt. The Government of Tamil Nadu is taking all necessary steps to bring in trains from other state factories and distribute them to hospitals)

Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin announced financial incentives for COVID frontline warriors, including nurses, doctors, healthcare workers and support staff as the state battles the second wave of the pandemic. Making the announcement on Tuesday, the new Tamil Nadu CM said that the government will provide Rs 30,000 each to doctors treating COVID patients, Rs 20,000 each to nurses and Rs 15,000 each to other workers in COVID-19 wards in addition to providing Rs 20,000 as incentives to PG students (house surgeons) and trainee doctors in order to encourage them. He also announced ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakh each for families of 43 doctors who had lost their lives in the line of duty in the battle against COVID. 

Tamil Nadu's COVID situation

Tamil Nadu on Tuesday recorded 29,272 fresh COVID-19 cases in the single biggest day spike so far, pushing the caseload to 14,38,509 while 298 deaths in the last 24 hours taking the toll to 16,178. According to a medical bulletin, 19,182 people were discharged today, taking the tally to 12,60,150, leaving 1,62,181 active infections. With an increase in new infections, Chief Minister M K Stalin appealed to the general public and industries to donate to the Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund to fight against the raging pandemic.

The state capital accounted for 7,466 new infections, totalling 4,04,733 to date. The metropolis also leads in the number of fatalities with 5,368 deaths. The number of samples tested in the last 24 hours was at 1,56,111, pushing the cumulative number of specimens examined so far to 2,43,10,931. Besides Chennai, Chengalpet added 2,419 cases, Coimbatore 2,650, Thiruvallur 1,204 and Madurai 1,024, while the remaining 31 districts clocked new infections in triple digits.