State to procure over 20L syringes for vax

kolkata: The state Health department has decided to procure more than 20 lakh syringes to administer Covid doses. The decision was taken by the department as there has been a shortage of syringes caused due to an efficient administration of extra doses from each vial by the nursing personnel and health workers across Bengal.

"Health department is going to procure more than 20 lakh syringes as we have managed to save extra doses from each vial of vaccine. As a result many syringes are required. State government now has to buy more syringes which are not supplied by the Centre. The special type of syringe is used for one time and not available in the open market," said a senior health official.

The Union Health Ministry supplies one syringe against one dose. It is expected that 10 people will be vaccinated from one vial but the nursing personnel in most of the Covid vaccination centers (CVCs) are extracting 1 or 2 extra doses from each vial. Extra two doses are given considering the wastage issue. This had led to a shortage of syringes. Bengal has received around 2.98 crore doses from the Centre. There has been a shortfall of 20 lakh syringes which is just 7 per cent of the total supplied doses of 2.98 crore.

As the state managed to extract extra doses from the vials there was a shortfall of syringes. Bengal has already set an example for other states by using the extra doses from each vial which were given by the manufacturer in extra.

It was learnt from the sources that the health department will soon write to the centre mentioning the issue.

There has been a shortage of vaccines in the state already and now another problem has arisen. Health department may urge the Union Health Ministry to send extra syringes so that the extra doses can be administered.

If it does not happen, the vaccination drive may be further affected. To overcome the situation the state is ready to buy the extra requirement of 20 lakh syringes. In the country around 6-7 doses out of 100 are wasted by the health workers but in case of Bengal, the same amount of doses are extracted beyond 100 which is the usual utilization figure out of 10 vials.