The Samut Sakhon governor has appealed to the government to raise the province's allocation of Covid-19 vaccines, after seeing doses provided cut from 300,000 to just 70,000 despite high case numbers.
Veerasak Vichitsangsri yesterday made a complaint about the recent reassessment of needs in the province, which he pointed to as being one of the most important industrial hubs in the country, despite Samut Sakhon having an above-average risk of further outbreaks.
Those risk factors include: a recent record of mass infections, a number of large field hospitals that take in Covid-19 patients from neighbouring areas, and the province's economic importance means it is home to many migrant workers.
Mr Veerasak said he has tried to discuss the issue with the central committee, especially as the province generates a large amount of income from industry but could only secure a promise of an extra 100,000 doses.
He also revealed that he had been informed during a meeting with the provincial infectious diseases control committee that the Samut Sakhon Provincial Administrative Organization has already ordered 200,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine from Chulabhorn Royal Academy, but it was not yet known whether the province would receive the full order or when it would arrive.
Mr Veerasak was himself seriously sick with Covid-19 in December last year.
Chairman of Samut Sakhon Chamber of Commerce Chathip Tangkulpaisarn said that after the outbreaks the province has already suffered and with case numbers still high it would need a further 330,000 doses of vaccine by July.