Mumbai, May 10 (IANS): In a major initiative, the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will issue global tenders to procure around five million Covid-19 vaccines, Mumbai Mayor Kishore Pednekar announced here on Monday.

She said that the tenders would be floated in two days and the doses procured shall be used to administer free jabs to all Mumbaikars.

Last month, the Maharashtra government had indicated that it would issue international tenders to procoure various drugs like Remdesivir and Vaccines, to tide over the shortages here.

Earlier on Monday, a delegation of Bharatiya Janata Party, led by Leader of Opposition in the Council, Pravin Darekar called on BMC Commissioner I. S. Chahal and demanded the civic body should issue independent global tenders to enable free vaccination for the people of the city.

The vaccination drive in Mumbai and other parts of the state has been erratic in view of short supply of doses in the past few weeks, and the load has increased after the 18-44 age groups were cleared for the jabs from May 1.

Till date, 27,48,683 people including healthcare workers, frontline workers, and general citizens, comprising the age groups above 45 and 18-44 age, as per official data.

In order to avoid rush at vaccination centres, the BMC has also introduced 'drive-in' facility for senior citizens at Kohinoor Parking Lot and a few more similar centres shall come up shortly.