Key Points:
- “Today, the Cabinet, under the leadership of CM Uddhav Thackeray has decided to provide free COVID-19 vaccination to all the citizens of Maharashtra aged between 18-44 years,” the CMO stated.
- The decision is only valid for the ones who visit the Government Hospitals. Citizens will have to pay for the jabs in private hospitals.
- CM Thackeray said that even if currently there is financial crisis in the state, the health of the citizens is the top priority and hence, the decision.
On Wednesday, the Maharashtra government announced that it will administer Covid-19 vaccine doses ‘For Free’ to all the citizens of the state that come under the age umbrella of 18-44. The Phase Three of vaccination in the state will begin on 1st of May as scheduled.
The Chief Minister Office stated, “Today, the cabinet under the leadership of chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has decided to provide free COVID-19 vaccination to all the citizens of Maharashtra aged between 18-44 years.”
In the meeting led by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray he said, “We have been fighting the battle of COVID for the last one and a half years. Vaccination has been started in the state since January in collaboration with the Center. To date, more than 1.5 crore people under the age of 45 have been vaccinated. This is a record in the country.”
The Free Vaccine announcement was first made by Maharashtra’s Minority Minister and Nationalist Congress Party’s Leader Nawab Malik on 25th April. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, a day before the official announcement said that the decision will be taken in the cabinet meeting and then, it was released that the ‘Free Vaccination’ will take place in the state.
On Tuesday, Rajesh Tope, Maharashtra’s Health Minister stated that Maharashtra MIGHT receive the Covishield vaccine supply only after 20th May, as per a communique it had got from Serum Institute of India.
The state’s Health Ministry will announce a detailed program for the vaccination process as and when it will start and the registration will take place on the CoWin App, that has already begun adding that people shouldn’t rush to the vaccination centres before that.
The decision of the Free Vaccination will burden the government coffers with ₹6,500, said health minister Rajesh Tope.
Adding to this, the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said that even if currently there is financial crisis in the state, the health of the citizens is the top priority and that is why the decision to provide free vaccines to all the people between the ages of 18 and 44 was taken at the state cabinet meeting.
But, the decision is only valid for the ones who visit the Government Hospitals. Citizens will have to pay for the jabs in private hospitals.
