DMK makes a fresh pitch for handing over of IVC to State

In his letter to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, DMK Rajya Sabha MP P Wilson said, “Since the union government has not been able to find bidders, the revival of IVC at Chengalpattu should be handed over to the government of Tamil Nadu to ensure that the facility is employed to manufacture the COVID vaccines.” 

Referring to the Minister’s earlier reply, which showed how the union government did not receive bids for using IVC, Wilson said, through multiple letters to the union government, Chief Minister MK Stalin has requested the Centre to hand over the manufacturing facility to TN on lease to commence vaccine production. 

Citing a Supreme Court verdict providing for compulsory licensing of drugs during a national emergency, the DMK MP highlighted the lockdown imposed in multiple provinces in China owing to the third wave and said, “The usage of vaccine manufacturing units is of critical importance as we can see COVID outbreaks in other populated countries such as China, which is now putting multiple provinces like Mongolia and Lanzhou in lockdown, making the third wave of the pandemic in India a close reality and making vaccines the only effective barrier to protect the nation.” 

Taking exception to the Minister’s argument that the King Institute of Preventive Medicine and Research, Guindy, was under the State’s control, Wilson said the BCG vaccine laboratory in the institute, under the control of the union government, was closed without putting it into effective use for manufacturing vaccines. 

Stating that the Centre has the capability to take charge and cogent action to ensure that BCG lab is well equipped to manufacture vaccines, the senior advocate requested the Union Minister to take immediate steps to revive and utilise BCG and IVC.