Virendra Singh Rawat
Lucknow / May 12, 2021
Having launched the Covid vaccination programme to inoculate estimated 90 million people in the 18-45 year age bracket, the Uttar Pradesh government is eyeing World Bank funding for the gargantuan exercise.
According to UP micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) and export promotion minister Sidharth Nath Singh, the state was looking at “out of box” solutions to finance the health sector in the backdrop of the pandemic crisis.
“We are discussing the possibility of utilising a portion of undisbursed money, which is already financed by the World Bank, in improving the state healthcare sector comprising both treatment as well as vaccination,” he said.
The World Bank has been encouraging the developing countries to use its funds for their ongoing vaccination programmes to control the pandemic.
Singh informed the Yogi Adityanath government was also in discussion with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for financing private investment in the health sector.
Recently, the UP government had floated a global tender for procuring 40 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines. This was in addition to the order of 10 million doses, 5 million each to Bharat Biotech and Serum Institute of India (SII), which was placed by the state last month.
The short term global tender has been floated by state agency UP Medical Supply Corporation Limited (UPMSCL).
Besides, the UP government is drafting an oxygen policy to promote the participation of the private sector, especially MSMEs, by providing a host of incentives to meet the growing demand for liquid medical oxygen. The state has invited suggestions from industry to formulate a robust policy.
“The policy would offer incentives to encourage more investors in the sector,” Singh said during his recent virtual interaction with industrialists and investors under the aegis of UP Chapter of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
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