Floating Global Tender For COVID Vaccines Not A Wrong Move: Odisha DMET

Bhubaneswar: Odisha government is making all-out efforts to procure COVID vaccines despite failure to rope in manufacturers in India and abroad, said CBK Mohanty, Director Medical Education and Training (DMET) on Thursday.

On the failure of the state government to invite vaccine manufacturers to participate in the bidding, Mohanty said “floating a global tender for this purpose was never a wrong decision. After all, there is no guarantee that by floating a global tender we will get the vaccines. We failed in our mission to invite the overseas companies due to restrictions on the import of COVID vaccines,” Mohanty told the media here.

However, the state government has a scope as the Centre has eased the restrictions. “The state government will decide on the steps to be taken only after reviewing the situation”, he added.

On the possibility of a third wave of COVID-19, Mohanty said it is impossible to tell right now. “We are not sure about when there will be third wave and what will be its impact. But, we have taken all pre-emptive measures to deal with the situation,” he pointed out.