Guwahati: Announcing a noble move and to transform the vaccination drive into a mass movement (Jana Andolan), Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday urged everyone to celebrate their birthday by paying for the vaccination of a person and saving a life from COVID.
"I would like to request everyone to celebrate their birthday in a special way. Pay for the vaccination of someone on your birthday and save a life from COVID. Vaccination is the only way to save people from COVID. What better way to celebrate a birthday but by saving or donating someone life," Chief Minister Sarma said emphasising the fact that he wants to make the COVID vaccination drive in Assam a mass movement so that no one is left out without getting the life-saving COVID vaccine.
CM Sarma said that the contribution from each person would be Rs 600-800 to get a person vaccinated.
The Chief Minister said that the state government would require about Rs 600-800 crore to vaccinate the people of Assam in the 18-44 years age group. It is the state's responsibility to vaccinate everyone in this age group free of cost.
The Centre has taken the responsibility to vaccinate people above 45 years of age free of cost.
An amount of Rs 50 crore has been donated to the Arogya Nidhi from the CM Cares Fund. Another Rs 15 crore has been donated to the Reliance Aarogya Nidhi. The College Teachers Association has contributed a day's salary, the CM said briefing the media in Guwahati.
So far over 35 lakh people have been vaccinated in Assam. "We can vaccinate one lakh people every day but currently we are able to vaccinate around 50,000 people daily due to the vaccine shortage that the entire country is facing", the CM said adding that in the coming days the shortage would be over by July-August.
Referring to the COVID situation in the state, the CM said that there seem to be some signs of improvement as per the data of COVID cases in the past three days but it is still too early to feel hopeful or happy, the state is now facing the new and big challenge of Black Fungus.
"There is just a ray of hope that the COVID situation might be slightly improving in Assam. This is what the data over the past three days show but it is still too early to say anything concrete or feel happy and hopeful about. We have the Black Fungus cases reported in the state. That is a new, big challenge before us now," CM Sarma said.
The COVID positivity rate in the state is hovering around 6.9% – 6.14%. The state is working towards testing one lakh people every day. "Our efforts are to contain the spread of COVID by causing the minimum inconvenience to the people. Efforts are on to ensure proper and good care in the hospitals at the night as well. All ministers of the Assam Cabinet including me are travelling to all parts," Chief Minister Sarma said.