Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said the government had decided to provide COVID vaccination free of cost to every citizen above 18 years of age.
In a digital briefing, he told the Delhi government had approved the purchase of ₹1.34 crore vaccines and said he would appeal to the Centre to ensure that all governments got vaccine doses at the same price.
“Vaccine is emerging as a solution to this pandemic. Those who have been administered the vaccine are either not contracting the virus or contracting only mild forms of it,” he said.
Moderate pricing
However, they are differently priced. “Different vaccine manufacturers have priced the vaccine at ₹400 and ₹600 for State governments and at ₹150 for the Central government. I believe the price should be the same for everyone,” he also said.
Now was not the time to look for profits, asserted Mr. Kejriwal, but to come together to help humanity. At a time when Central and State governments were capping the rate at which medicines and other facilities should be made available to people, vaccines also needed to be moderately priced, he said.
“It is also my appeal to the central government, if need be, please cap the rate of the vaccine and ensure it is made available at standardised rates to everyone. If special vaccines are required for children below the age of 18, I hope they are manufactured soon and can be swiftly administered to the children of the country,” he said.
He also appealed to the manufacturers to bring the price of vaccine down to ₹150 for everyone.
Ramping up facilities
He further said that the Delhi government was in the process of ramping up hospital beds across the city. “We are also trying to increase oxygen beds in Delhi. Today morning, I visited the centre that has been created at the Radha Soami Satsang Beas. It has started functioning from 10 a.m. today [Monday] morning,” he said.
While there were 150 beds as of now, in the next 2-3 days this number would be increased to 500, then 2,000 beds and finally 5,000, he said. “We are also creating a 200 ICU bed facility at the centre. We are creating several such centres in Delhi and hope they aid the people of Delhi,” he also said.